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Departures at San Diego International Airport slowed significantly on Friday, September 4, after pilots and passengers reported drones flying near the air traffic control tower and a silvery object consistent with a high-altitude balloon over the city, creating rolling delays that stretched into Saturday.
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Ground stop follows multiple drone reports near the tower
Publicly available flight-tracking data and traveler accounts indicate that San Diego International Airport (SAN) experienced an afternoon ground stop on September 4 after at least one departing crew reported a drone close to the airfield. Posts from passengers waiting to depart described departures being halted as aircraft already at the runway remained in place for extended periods, with some travelers reporting waits of an hour or more on board.
Several accounts referenced two separate drones, including descriptions of a small unmanned aircraft hovering roughly 20 to 25 feet above the airport’s control tower. Travelers sharing updates from the departure queues noted that no takeoffs were allowed while the objects were in the vicinity, with subsequent messages reporting that the ground stop was lifted shortly after 3 p.m. local time, even as long lines of aircraft remained in sequence for departure. ([reddit.com](https://www.reddit.com/r/SouthwestAirlines/comments/1w7icyy/san_ground_stop/?utm_source=openai))
Additional posts from passengers flying to San Diego suggested that the disruption was not limited to San-based departures. Some inbound flights were held at origin or assigned later departure times, with delays of two to three hours attributed to earlier “drone nonsense” around the airport. Together, the stoppage and backlog of aircraft contributed to San Diego ranking among the most delayed major U.S. airports for part of the day, according to traveler accounts comparing delay statistics. ([reddit.com](https://www.reddit.com/r/sandiego/comments/1w7olcg/not_one_but_two_drones_shuts_down_san_completely/?utm_source=openai))
High-altitude balloon adds to confusion in San Diego skies
At roughly the same time that pilots were reporting drone activity near the airport, residents across San Diego began posting images of a bright, stationary object high in the afternoon sky. Descriptions from the Mission Bay area and neighborhoods farther inland characterized the object as a silvery dot, metallic and unmoving against the blue sky, leading many observers to speculate that it was a weather or research balloon. ([reddit.com](https://www.reddit.com/r/sandiego/comments/1w7hkbj/stationary_silver_object_in_sky_090426_220_pm/?utm_source=openai))
Multiple threads from local observers framed the sighting as separate from the low-altitude drones affecting airport operations. Some commenters noted that the balloon-like object had already drifted away from the direct departure and arrival paths by the time the most severe airport delays were being discussed. Nonetheless, the overlapping reports of drones and a balloon over the region created a swirl of speculation among travelers trying to understand why flights were being held. ([reddit.com](https://www.reddit.com/r/sandiego/comments/1w7i2lp/drones_over_san/?utm_source=openai))
High-altitude balloons, including those used for weather monitoring and scientific research, typically operate well above commercial traffic. However, public awareness of unusual aerial objects has increased in recent years, and social media posts from San Diego on Friday reflected that sensitivity, with users trading photos, videos and theories as the ground stop unfolded below.
Delays ripple through Friday schedule and into Saturday
Data from the Federal Aviation Administration’s San Diego status page on Saturday showed continuing traffic-management measures and volume-related delays, suggesting that the impact of Friday’s stoppage carried into the following day’s operations. The FAA dashboard listed average delays of more than half an hour for certain traffic flows into San Diego, with arrival programs in place to manage congestion. ([fly.faa.gov](https://www.fly.faa.gov/fly/flyfaa/flyfaaindex?ARPT=SAN&p=1&utm_source=openai))
Passengers posting on airline- and city-focused forums reported missed connections, late-night arrivals and flights pushed several hours beyond their scheduled departure times on both Thursday and Friday. One traveler cited a 6:40 p.m. departure that did not leave until nearly five hours later, while others described late-evening flights out of San Diego that remained delayed even after the ground stop ended, as airlines worked through the accumulated backlog of aircraft and crews. ([reddit.com](https://www.reddit.com/r/sandiego/comments/1w6nmdq/airport_delays/?utm_source=openai))
Independent flight-status aggregators tracking SAN departures on September 4 indicated that the airport handled more than 350 scheduled departures for the day, a normal or slightly elevated volume for late summer. With many of those flights experiencing some level of disruption, the cumulative effect for passengers was significant, particularly for those with tight onward connections or limited options for rebooking. ([airportinformation.com](https://www.airportinformation.com/SAN/departures?utm_source=openai))
Drone risks near airports under renewed scrutiny
The San Diego incident adds to a growing number of drone sightings reported in proximity to U.S. airports in recent years. Federal data covering unmanned aircraft system (UAS) reports between April and June 2026 show hundreds of pilot and air traffic reports nationwide, including encounters near busy commercial hubs. While most do not result in confirmed collisions, aviation safety advocates highlight the potential for even a small drone to damage engines or control surfaces at critical phases of flight. ([faa.gov](https://www.faa.gov/uas/resources/public_records/uas_sightings_report?utm_source=openai))
Current FAA guidance classifies the airspace immediately around airports as highly restricted for recreational and commercial drone operators, and recent Notices to Air Missions for San Diego reference recurring unmanned aircraft activity within a small radius northwest of the field at low altitudes during nighttime hours. These notices underscore that unauthorized drone flights in controlled airspace can prompt rapid responses from air traffic managers, including ground stops and diversions when a device is believed to be in the flight path. ([skyready.app](https://skyready.app/airport/ksan/notams?utm_source=openai))
Although most traveler accounts from San Diego point to a quick resumption of departures once the drones were no longer observed, the operational knock-on effects highlight how even brief incursions can strand passengers for hours. Airlines must re-sequence departures, reposition crews and in some cases re-time inbound flights to keep network schedules functioning, leaving travelers vulnerable to extended delays even after the immediate safety issue is resolved.
What passengers can expect in the days ahead
With the summer travel period still in full swing and San Diego’s single-runway layout limiting flexibility, residual disruption may continue for some passengers over the weekend, particularly during peak departure banks. FAA status pages for San Diego on Saturday showed that volume-related programs remained active at times, contributing to modest average delays for arriving traffic and occasional hold times for departures. ([fly.faa.gov](https://www.fly.faa.gov/fly/flyfaa/flyfaaindex?ARPT=SAN&p=1&utm_source=openai))
Weather-related complications are also in focus, as the National Weather Service has issued coastal flood and high surf advisories for San Diego and surrounding coastal areas from September 5 through September 8. While these conditions typically affect shoreline infrastructure more than airfield operations, strong onshore winds, reduced visibility from marine layers and increased approach turbulence can all factor into flow-control decisions on busy travel days. ([forecast.weather.gov](https://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?lat=32.72&lon=-117.15&utm_source=openai))
Travelers scheduled to fly into or out of San Diego over the next several days are encouraged, according to publicly available airline and airport guidance, to monitor flight status frequently, allow extra time at the airport and be prepared for schedule changes. As drone use continues to proliferate and coastal weather patterns shift through late summer, aviation observers expect operational managers at San Diego and other large coastal airports to remain cautious when unexplained objects appear in controlled airspace.
FAA San Diego airport status page