San Francisco International Airport experienced several FAA-imposed ground stops on November 9, 2026, causing significant delays for arriving flights. By about 10:30 a.m. Pacific Time, 187 flights were delayed and three were cancelled as the FAA implemented ground delay programmes and temporary holding measures to control traffic flow amidst low visibility conditions.
Fog and Visibility Reduction Trigger Operational Restrictions
The multiple ground stops at San Francisco International Airport were a direct response to dense fog and low cloud ceilings impacting the San Francisco Bay area. Visibility sharply decreased to roughly 0.13 miles around 8 a.m., according to weather reports. The National Weather Service issued a dense fog
advisory covering San Francisco and adjacent bay shoreline zones, warning of visibility as low as a quarter mile in some sectors. The airport’s location adjacent to the bay contributes to frequent fog events requiring special low-visibility operating procedures.
Passenger Impact and Flight Delays
The 187 delayed flights recorded by late morning faced average arrival delays near 63 minutes. Flight cancellations numbered three as of approximately 10:30 a.m. Disruptions extended beyond San Francisco itself, affecting departure schedules at other U.S. airports sending flights to the city. FAA ground stops held selected outbound flights at these locations to avoid congestion in terminal airspace at San Francisco International
Airport. These measures caused ripple effects on connecting flights and departures outside the fog-affected region.
FAA Air Traffic Management Measures and Airport Status
The first ground stop began just before 8 a.m. Pacific Time and was lifted after about 75 minutes, though ground delay programmes remained in place to manage inbound flights. Additional FAA ground stops followed around 10:28 a.m. and again shortly before noon to maintain safe spacing between aircraft under low-visibility conditions. These temporary FAA air traffic controls held aircraft on the ground at various airports without closing San Francisco International Airport, allowing continued, albeit restricted, flight operations.
