Key Takeaways
- San Diego International Airport is short 18% of required air traffic controllers, with 5 out of 28 FAA roles unfilled.
- Terminal 1 construction, set to finish by 2028, currently causes road closures, congestion, and limited parking, impacting travel.
- Dense fog and nationwide weather disruptions caused significant delays in late 2024 and early 2025, complicating SAN’s flight schedules.
On April 1, 2025, San Diego International Airport (SAN) faced another wave of flight delays and cancellations, continuing a trend observed over recent months. As the busiest single-runway airport in the United States, SAN is accustomed to operational challenges. However, an unusual combination of factors—including staffing shortages, adverse weather, ongoing construction, and external disruptions—has further stressed airport operations. This article explores the root causes of these problems, their effects on stakeholders, and potential remedies for improving airport efficiency.
Staffing Shortages: A Nationwide Concern Reaching SAN
One of the primary reasons for the delays at San Diego International Airport is a persistent shortage of air traffic controllers. These professionals manage the scheduling and safe movement of airplanes, whether taxiing on the ground or flying in the skies. In early 2025, SAN confirmed it was short by roughly 18% of the air traffic controllers it ideally needed, with five of the 28 Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)-approved positions unfilled. This gap has led to additional strain on the staff already working, lowering the flexibility and efficiency of air traffic management.
The United States, as a whole, has been facing a lack of trained air traffic controllers, an issue that further complicates matters for SAN. When personnel shortages exist nationwide, transferring air traffic controllers to cover gaps in high-demand airports like San Diego’s becomes impractical. Without sufficient staff, even minor disruptions—such as a slight increase in flight traffic or sudden weather changes—can result in significant delays.
From a long-term perspective, permanent solutions will require addressing the air traffic controller shortage not just as a local problem but a national concern. Increased funding for recruiting and training programs, better financial incentives, and focused outreach to attract skilled individuals to this career could provide the workforce SAN needs to cope with its growing flight volumes.
Weather Disruptions Add to the Problem
Weather-related issues continue to be an unpredictable yet frequent cause of flight delays at San Diego International Airport. The airport’s location, near the California coast, exposes it to thick fog during certain times of the year. Low visibility from fog makes it harder for flights to take off, land, or remain on schedule. On multiple occasions, such weather conditions have led to major disruptions.
For instance, December 20, 2024, saw extremely dense fog affect San Diego, delaying 160 flights and forcing the cancellation of 21 by mid-morning. Just weeks later, on January 3, 2025, bad weather resulted in over 60 flights either rescheduled or canceled within mere hours. The impact of fog doesn’t just frustrate passengers; it challenges the airport’s systems, further slowing down an already tight schedule.
Weather-related delays are not always localized. Poor conditions in other parts of the United States, such as storms in Texas or tornadoes sweeping through the Midwest, interrupt air traffic routes directly connected to San Diego. Delays at other airports sometimes cause ripple effects, making it more difficult for flights to depart and arrive on time from SAN.
Although weather is a natural, uncontrollable factor, San Diego International Airport could reduce its impact through better advanced weather prediction systems and close coordination with airlines. Predictive technologies, if adopted, could allow airlines to adjust flight paths or reschedule takeoffs in less disruptive ways.
Construction Chaos: Terminal 1 Redevelopment
Adding to the operational difficulties at SAN is the ongoing construction of the revamped Terminal 1. The redevelopment project aims to modernize the terminal and increase its capacity from its outdated infrastructure to a vast 30-gate facility. While this improvement holds the promise of better passenger experiences in the coming years, the construction process itself has created a maze of challenges for airport travelers.
Temporary road closures, traffic congestion, and fewer parking options make simply getting to and from the airport more complicated. For many travelers, arriving at the airport hours ahead of their scheduled flight has not been enough to avoid the snarl of holiday-season traffic caused by the construction zones. From December 19, 2024, through January 5, 2025, these problems were magnified as holiday passenger volume overwhelmed existing facilities.
Although construction of the first phase is expected to be completed in late 2025, Terminal 1’s final upgrade won’t be finished until 2028. Until then, airport authorities must find ways to ease pressure on overloaded construction zones while ensuring daily operations are maintained with as little disturbance as possible.
The Single-Runway Strain: Inherent Capacity Issues
San Diego International Airport is one of the busiest airports in the United States, handling an extraordinary amount of air traffic for an airport with only one runway. As of February 2025, SAN handled over 15,000 flights, yet nearly 14% of those flights were delayed, and nearly 1% were canceled, further underlining the difficulties of operating with a single runway.
While other airports can increase capacity by adding additional runways, SAN faces geographical restrictions that make this nearly impossible. The airport is surrounded by San Diego Bay on one side and downtown San Diego on the other, making expansion plans extremely difficult to execute.
Because this limitation cannot easily be resolved, SAN will need alternative solutions to optimize the efficiency of its lone runway. Encouraging airlines to adopt better scheduling practices, spreading flight activity more evenly across peak and off-peak times, or deploying new air traffic management technologies might ease runway congestion to some extent.
Broader Disruptions: Nationwide Failures Highlight System Vulnerabilities
Occasionally, problems that start far from San Diego International Airport also disrupt its operations. A major example came on July 19, 2024, when a global software update failed, halting critical airline reservation and baggage tracking systems at airports around the world. This collapse delayed numerous flights at SAN as airlines struggled to restore technological operations affecting flight schedules and passenger services.
These types of disruptions reveal how interconnected modern airport systems are. If a single weak link, like a hiccup in software, fails on a nationwide scale, it sends shockwaves across multiple airports, including SAN. To prevent such disruptions in the future, airports can adopt multiple layers of backup systems that allow operations to continue unaffected even when certain technologies malfunction.
Ripple Effects on Travelers, Airlines, and Communities
Frequent delays and challenges at San Diego International Airport extend far beyond the immediate inconvenience caused to travelers. Passengers face financial losses, including costs of missed connections, hotel bookings, and re-ticketing fees. For business travelers tethered to tight schedules, delays affect productivity and disrupt important meetings or transactions.
Airlines operating out of SAN also endure higher operational costs due to disruptions. Late arrivals or departures require last-minute adjustments to crew schedules, additional costs for holding aircraft on the ground longer than expected, and logistical headaches in rerouting passengers.
On a more macro level, businesses across San Diego, reliant on reliable air connections for cargo or employee travel, feel the pinch. Small delays add up over time, impacting regional productivity, missed cargo shipments, or connectivity for large corporations based in the city.
How Can SAN Fix Its Problems?
San Diego International Airport’s current problems cannot be solved overnight, but systematic steps could set it on a path toward improvement. Key actions include:
- Addressing the Air Traffic Controller Shortage: Recruitment campaigns with financial benefits and reduced time for certifications could help alleviate staffing gaps more quickly.
- Technological Investment: Advanced weather forecasting systems can help airlines and the airport plan for adverse conditions more effectively.
Faster Construction Timelines: Prioritizing efficiency on Terminal 1 redevelopment could allow passengers and operators to enjoy better facilities sooner rather than later.
Clearer Passenger Communication: Offering real-time updates on flight statuses or other disruptions would improve the overall traveler experience.
Efforts like these can position SAN to more effectively handle the growing demands of being a major travel hub with inherent constraints.
The Road Ahead for San Diego International
San Diego International Airport faces significant hurdles, but each obstacle presents an opportunity for progress. Issues like weather-related delays or staffing shortages require coordination between the airport, airlines, and staffing agencies. Although its status as a single-runway airport is unlikely to change, precision in management and technological enhancements could expand the airport’s capacity without requiring physical expansion—ensuring minimal disruption for travelers and businesses alike.
For more details on airport operations and staffing needs, visiting the Federal Aviation Administration provides additional resources. To keep up with further updates on transportation or airport developments, VisaVerge.com continues to shed light on key aviation trends impacting travelers globally.
As SAN overcomes these hurdles, travelers are urged to stay informed, plan ahead for potential delays, and remain patient as the airport works toward long-term improvements that better serve the flying public.
Learn Today
Air Traffic Controllers → Professionals who manage airplane movements, ensuring safety during takeoffs, landings, and flights through controlled airspace.
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) → A U.S. government body regulating civil aviation, including air traffic management, pilot licensing, and airport operations.
Advanced Weather Prediction Systems → Technologies used to forecast weather conditions, aiding airports and airlines in minimizing disruptions caused by adverse weather.
Terminal Redevelopment → Construction or renovation projects aimed at modernizing airport terminals, enhancing capacity and passenger experience, often causing temporary disruptions.
Single-Runway Airport → An airport operating with one runway, limiting its capacity for simultaneous takeoffs and landings, often causing scheduling constraints.
This Article in a Nutshell
San Diego International Airport faces persistent delays from staffing shortages, coastal weather, and Terminal 1 construction chaos. As the busiest single-runway airport in the U.S., it relies on inventive solutions—better scheduling, advanced tech, and faster recruiting. While challenges remain, adapting now promises smoother journeys for passengers and a brighter, streamlined future.
— By VisaVerge.com
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