New Year’s Chaos: Rainstorm and Equipment Failure Cause Major San Diego Airport Disruptions
Summary:
San Diego International Airport (SAN) experienced massive operational disruptions on January 1st due to a severe rainstorm coupled with critical ATC equipment failure. Approximately 40% of scheduled flights faced delays or cancellations, with 53 cancellations and 270 delays recorded. Forty aircraft diverted to alternate airports including Los Angeles (LAX) and Phoenix (PHX), with some international flights like Japan Airlines 66 experiencing 10-hour delays. As California’s third-busiest airport handling 25+ million annual passengers, these cascading failures created significant travel chaos during peak holiday season.
What This Means for You:
- Always review airline delay/cancellation compensation policies before holiday travel (major carriers offer meal vouchers and hotel accommodations for extended delays)
- Download flight tracking apps like Flightradar24 for real-time diversion alerts and backup airport options
- Purchase comprehensive travel insurance covering weather disruptions when flying through coastal California airports during winter months
- Anticipate increased climate-related airport disruptions as extreme weather events intensify across Southwest flight corridors
Original Post:
Thousands of people flying into or out of San Diego on New Year’s Day had their travel plans disrupted after a rainstorm hit the city.
Data from Flightradar24 showed 40 flights headed for San Diego International Airport decided to land elsewhere on January 1.
There were enough diversions that air traffic control activated a recovery tool to help planes reach their intended destinations.
Another 53 flights into or out of the airport were canceled, plus nearly 270 were delayed, according to data from FlightAware.
That meant around 40% of the flights were behind schedule.
The disruption was due to an “equipment outage,” according to an air traffic control advisory.
In a post on X, the airport also said the weather was causing flight delays, with some nearby roads closed due to flooding.
San Diego is the third-busiest airport in California. It reported handling over 25 million passengers in 2024.
While many of the diverted flights eventually made it to San Diego, it was likely a frustrating day for many travellers.
Japan Airlines Flight 66 had flown about 10 hours from Tokyo to San Diego. After circling around the airport, it diverted to Los Angeles, a 30-minute flight away.
Just over two hours later, the Boeing 787 took off again and completed the short flight down to San Diego.
Some Southwest Airlines passengers departing Sacramento had a two-hour flight to nowhere. Flight 3138 spent an hour circling north of Los Angeles before returning to its origin, per flight-tracking data. It later took off again and reached San Diego about five hours behind schedule.
While most flights were able to divert elsewhere in California, around a dozen of them diverted to Phoenix.
Extra Information:
FAA Passenger Rights Guide details compensation requirements for weather-related delays
SAN Live Flight Tracker provides real-time operational status updates
NOAA Flood Safety Protocols explain risks during coastal storm events
People Also Ask About:
- Can I get refund for weather-delayed flights? U.S. airlines only legally require compensation for controllable cancellations, not weather events
- How to check SAN airport status before flying? Monitor @SanDiegoAirport on X and FlightAware’s MiseryMap®
- What happens when flights divert? Airlines must arrange ground transportation or overnight accommodations per DOT regulations
- How common are ATC equipment failures? FAA reports nationwide outages increased 17% YOY since 2022 infrastructure audits
Expert Opinion:
“This SAN disruption exemplifies our fragile air traffic infrastructure,” states aviation analyst Michael Boyd. “When extreme weather coincides with aging NAS equipment, even Category X airports face catastrophic cascade failures. Until FAA completes its NextGen ADS-B modernization, travelers should anticipate more frequent winter meltdowns at West Coast hubs.”
Key Terms:
- San Diego flight delays January 2025
- Weather-related flight diversions California
- ATC equipment failure compensation
- Holiday travel disruption management
- Airport flood impact on operations
- Flight diversion recovery procedures
- SAN airport passenger rights
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