The Federal Aviation Administration lifted a ground stop at Denver International Airport at 4 p.m. on Saturday, August 15, after severe thunderstorms disrupted arrivals and caused hundreds of flight delays and cancellations throughout the day.
As of 4:30 p.m., FlightAware reported 91 canceled flights and 708 delayed flights at Denver International Airport. SkyWest Airlines accounted for 38 cancellations and 121 delays, United Airlines had 34 canceled flights and 265 delays, Southwest Airlines recorded 14 cancellations and 211 delays, and Frontier Airlines reported 5 cancelled flights and 49 delays.
The National Weather Service forecast severe thunderstorms continuing over the Front Range
area, including Denver, until 9 p.m. These storms brought the risk of damaging winds, large hail, and heavy rainfall, impacting final approach courses and causing extensive disruptions to inbound traffic at the airport.
Flights heading to Denver faced average delays of two hours after the ground stop was lifted. The combined effect of cancellations and delays affected more than 700 flights, creating significant interruptions to arrivals and departures during Saturday afternoon and evening.
Authorities confirmed the ground stop was put in place because thunderstorms encroached on final approach routes, and the National Weather Service issued a severe thunderstorm watch for
the Front Range until 9 p.m. The FAA and FlightAware provided ongoing updates on the situation as weather conditions continued to affect operations at Denver International Airport.
