40 New Year's Day flights were diverted away from San Diego after a storm hit the city

"Thousands of people flying into or out of San Diego on New Year's Day had their travel plans disrupted after a rainstorm hit the city. Data from Flightradar24 showed 40 flights headed for San Diego International Airport decided to land elsewhere on January 1. There were enough diversions that air traffic control activated a recovery tool to help planes reach their intended destinations. Another 53 flights into or out of the airport were canceled, plus nearly 270 were delayed, according to data from FlightAware."

"In a post on X, the airport also said the weather was causing flight delays, with some nearby roads closed due to flooding. San Diego is the third-busiest airport in California. It reported handling over 25 million passengers in 2024. The airport and the Federal Aviation Administration did not immediately respond to requests for comment Business Insider sent outside US working hours. While many of the diverted flights eventually made it to San Diego, it was likely a frustrating day for many travellers."

"Japan Airlines Flight 66 had flown about 10 hours from Tokyo to San Diego. After circling around the airport, itdiverted to Los Angeles, a 30-minute flight away. Just over two hours later, the Boeing 787 took off again and completed the short flight down to San Diego. Some Southwest Airlines passengers departing Sacramento had a two-hour flight to nowhere. Flight 3138 spent an hour circling north of Los Angeles before returning to its origin, per flight-tracking data."

Thousands of passengers experienced travel disruptions at San Diego International Airport after a rainstorm produced flooding and contributed to an air traffic equipment outage. Flight tracking data showed 40 inbound flights diverted to other airports, 53 flights were canceled, and nearly 270 were delayed, leaving about 40% of flights behind schedule. Air traffic control activated a recovery tool to help reroute aircraft. Some diverted flights eventually reached San Diego. Japan Airlines Flight 66 diverted to Los Angeles before completing the short sector to San Diego, and a Southwest flight circled then returned to its origin before arriving hours late. Nearby roads were closed due to flooding.

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