After widespread delays, operations back to normal at San Diego International Airport

Operations were back to normal Monday at San Diego International Airport, a day after tower staffing issues linked to the federal government shutdown caused widespread delays, airport officials said.

The Federal Aviation Administration issued a ground delay Sunday afternoon, and an FAA website indicated the delays were caused by staffing issues in the control tower. By Sunday night, the flight-tracking website FlightAware reported that all inbound and departing flights out of the downtown San Diego airport were delayed by about an hour.

An airport spokesperson said there was no lingering impact Monday from the delays. In a statement nearly identical to one issued Sunday, the spokesperson advised passengers traveling out of San Diego International to check their flight status before leaving for the airport, and to arrive two hours early for flights.

“Checkpoint wait times and flight scheduling are subject to the operations of our federal and airline partners. These operations are, at times, being affected by the federal government shutdown,” Fernando Alcalá, a spokesperson for the San Diego County Airport Authority, said in the statement. “We appreciate the ongoing commitment from (the Transportation Security Administration), FAA and our partner airlines to maintain the safety and reliability of the national transportation system during this challenging time.”

Los Angeles International Airport and other large airports around the country also experienced delays due to staffing shortages Sunday. While most appeared to be back to normal operations Monday, the FAA reported that three airports in Texas — Dallas Love Field, Dallas/Fort Worth International and Austin-Bergstrom International — were all experiencing widespread delays Monday due to staffing issues.

Staff writer Karen Kucher contributed to this report.