Security Issue Halts San Diego Airport Flights

San Diego International Airport briefly stopped flights on Thursday morning after a security alarm in Terminal 1 triggered a Federal Aviation Administration ground stop. San Diego Harbor Police said three screened passengers left the terminal for a smoke break and tried to re-enter through an exit-only door, setting off alarms. The FAA said the stop was tied to “security,” and local officials said operations later returned to normal. The disruption delayed both inbound and outbound traffic at one of the busiest single-runway airports in the United States. ### What set off the airport alarm? San Diego Harbor Police said the incident began after three passengers who had already cleared screening exited Terminal 1 around 6:30 a.m. and then attempted to come back through the same door. That door was not an authorized entrance, according to Harbor Police, and the attempted re-entry triggered a security alarm. (nbcsandiego.com) NBC 7, citing a Harbor Police spokesperson, reported the passengers left “to smoke.” FOX 5/KUSI reported the three travelers were briefly screened, denied boarding and issued citations after the alarm response. ### When did the FAA stop flights, and for how long? The Federal Aviation Administration’s advisory showed the ground stop at San Diego began at 7:51 a.m. and was initially set to remain in effect until 9:15 a.m. (fox5sandiego.com) The advisory listed “security” as the reason for the stoppage. FOX 5/KUSI reported the FAA lifted the ground stop by 8:15 a.m., well before the original end time. (nbcsandiego.com) NBC 7 separately reported the FAA said the stop was issued at about 7:15 a.m., reflecting the early phase of the response before the airport returned to normal operations. ### How broadly did the stoppage affect flights? FAA data cited by FOX 5/KUSI showed the advisory affected flights departing for San Diego from regional air traffic control centers including Los Angeles, Salt Lake City, Denver, Oakland and Albuquerque. (fox5sandiego.com) The same report said projected average delays were about 32 minutes, with some maximum delays exceeding an hour. (nbcsandiego.com) The FAA’s San Diego airport status page later showed a traffic management program remained in effect for arriving flights because of “OTHER / SECURITY,” with delays averaging about 35 minutes. That page said the information was general airport status rather than flight-specific guidance. ### What happened inside the terminal and on planes? Nicole Hall, a spokesperson for San Diego International Airport, told NBC 7 that the alarm notified airlines to shut their jet bridges, which connect the terminal to aircraft. (fox5sandiego.com) NBC 7 also reported that one Southwest Airlines passenger said law enforcement officers with dogs boarded the plane, removed a carry-on bag and then deplaned passengers for another security inspection. (fly.faa.gov) Passenger accounts posted during the disruption described travelers being told to leave aircraft and re-enter the screening process. Those accounts were consistent with the airport’s effort to secure planes after the alarm was triggered, according to NBC 7’s report. ### Did the airport reopen quickly? San Diego International Airport said operations were back to normal later Thursday morning. (nbcsandiego.com) FOX 5/KUSI quoted a public information officer as saying “operations are back to normal,” and NBC 7 reported the same outcome after the alarm response ended. As of the FAA’s 4:54 p.m. UTC status update on May 14, some flights destined for San Diego were still showing average delays of 35 minutes. (nbcsandiego.com) Travelers were advised by both the FAA and local officials to check directly with their airlines for the latest flight information. (fly.faa.gov)