Holiday travelers at San Diego International Airport got an unwelcome surprise over the July 4 weekend when air-traffic managers temporarily limited how many planes could land each hour. The move led to delays, a handful of cancellations and a backed-up arrivals board just as the airport was bracing for a near-record surge of nearly 800,000 travelers over a nine-day window.
Passengers reported getting texts from their airlines warning about Federal Aviation Administration staffing constraints, and the airport’s arrivals board showed a heavy backlog. Not exactly the fireworks show people had in mind for their holiday getaway.
One airline text told at least one passenger that FAA staffing was capping arrivals and that the carrier was “monitoring the situation,” according to FOX 5 San Diego. That outlet reported that the FAA acknowledged dozens of delayed flights at SAN and that arrival flights were being held to limit the hourly landing rate. FOX 5 San Diego also noted that the airport’s live arrivals board showed more than 100 flights delayed and a small number of cancellations on July 5…