San Diego Airport Reopens After Runway Closure
San Diego International Airport resumed operations late Wednesday night after an hours-long shutdown triggered by a disabled private jet on its main runway. The incident began around 6 p.m. when a Cessna 750 Citation’s front landing gear collapsed during takeoff. According to airport officials, the aircraft came to a stop without any injuries to those on board but was left stranded on the runway, forcing a ground stop and widespread flight disruptions.
For nearly three and a half hours, emergency crews surrounded the jet while inbound flights were diverted to other airports and departures were delayed or canceled. Passengers and local residents took to social media to describe unusual flight paths overhead as commercial jets rerouted around the closure.
Initially, the Federal Aviation Administration’s National Airspace System dashboard showed the ground stop scheduled through 8 p.m., but the disabled jet remained on the runway past that time, prompting an updated closure notice extending to midnight. More than 100 flights were affected and the airport’s online flight-status page was down during the incident, adding to traveler frustration.
Shortly before 9 p.m., crews successfully moved the aircraft off the runway and officials confirmed the airport had reopened to air traffic within 30 minutes. However, lingering cancellations and delays continued into the night.
Airport representatives advised passengers to check directly with their airlines for updated schedules before heading to the terminal, as recovery operations from the extended ground stop were still being processed.
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Sources: AirGuide Business airguide.info, bing.com, nbcsandiego.com