Is there a ground stop at SFO today?
Live FAA delay status for San Francisco International Airport (KSFO, San Francisco, CA): ground stops, ground delay programs and delays right now, what the FAA has listed for SFO recently, and how often flights here actually run late.
No ground stop at SFO right now, but the FAA is reporting a ground delay program (metered arrivals, not a full stop).
Details are in the FAA delay status card below. Checked Sep 22, 2026 · 2033Z (1:33 PM PDT); this page refreshes about every two minutes.
FAA Delay Status
FAA NAS Status for KSFO
FAA NAS Status is reporting a ground delay program for San Francisco International Airport (KSFO).
Updated Sep 22, 2026 · 2022Z (1:22 PM PDT) · Source: FAA NAS Status
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Recent FAA events at SFO
Ground stops and delay programs the FAA has listed for SFO in the last 90 days, from ATIS Alerts' own log of FAA NAS Status.
- Departure DelaysSep 22, 2026 · 2030Z (1:30 PM PDT)in effect · rwy:construction · avg delay 15 min
- Ground Delay ProgramSep 22, 2026 · 1305Z (6:05 AM PDT)in effect · low ceilings · avg delay 40 min
- Ground StopSep 20, 2026 · 1846Z (11:46 AM PDT)lasted 54 min · low ceilings
- Departure DelaysSep 18, 2026 · 1826Z (11:26 AM PDT)lasted 6h · rwy:construction · avg delay 23 min
Durations are the time the FAA kept the event listed. Log complete from 2026-09-22; older rows are the last event of each type seen by the ATIS Alerts bot since 2026-07-22.
How often is SFO delayed?
Airline on-time performance at SFO, Jun 2025 to May 2026, from the US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics.
145,970 scheduled airline arrivals and 145,890 departures in the period. Best month: Mar 2026 (83.1% on time); worst: May 2026 (53.9%). 45% of arrival delay minutes were charged to weather or the National Airspace System, the categories a ground stop or ground delay program falls under.
On-time arrivals by month
Bar = share of arrivals within 15 minutes of schedule; largest month had 13,147 arrivals.
What caused the delays
- 41%National Airspace System (ATC, volume, non-extreme weather)
- 29%Late-arriving aircraft
- 26%Airline (crew, maintenance, ground handling)
- 4%Extreme weather
- 0%Security
Shares of delay minutes on arrivals 15+ minutes late, as reported by the carriers to the DOT.
Source: BTS Airline On-Time Performance (reporting carriers; regional, cargo, and general aviation flights are not included). Published about two months after each month ends.
Weather at KSFO right now
Weather drives most ground stops: thunderstorms, low ceilings, wind and snow.
METAR KSFO 221956Z 25007KT 10SM FEW005 FEW019 19/12 A2997 RMK AO2 SLP148 T01890117
What a ground stop at SFO means
When the FAA issues a ground stop for San Francisco Intl, aircraft headed there are held at their departure airports until it lifts; flights already airborne continue, hold, or divert. It is the FAA's most severe traffic-management step short of closing the airport, and it is usually issued in 30 to 90 minute increments that get extended while the cause persists, then often converted into a ground delay program as conditions improve.
Passengers:your aircraft is probably sitting at its origin; the airline's "delayed" status usually resolves in waves after the stop lifts. Pilots: a stop at SFO ripples into the satellite airports and the whole TRACON; check the national board for programs at your alternate.
Terminology: ground stops explained · GDPs and EDCTs explained
Active FAA events nearby
Other airports in California with a delay event right now.
SFO ground stop FAQ
How do I know if SFO has a ground stop right now?
The banner at the top of this page reads the FAA's NAS Status feed about every two minutes. A red banner means the FAA currently lists a ground stop for San Francisco Intl; green means it does not. The official source is nasstatus.faa.gov.
How long do ground stops at SFO last?
The ground stops we have recorded at SFO stayed listed for about 60 minutes on average. Nationally, most stops run 30 to 90 minutes per issuance, but a stalled line of storms can keep one extended for hours.
Does a ground stop mean my flight is cancelled?
No. It means departures to SFOare held, not cancelled. Airlines cancel on their own when the backlog cannot be recovered, so watch your carrier's updates alongside this page.
⚠️ Informational only. FAA NAS Status is the authoritative source for delay programs; your airline or dispatch governs your flight. ATIS Alerts is not affiliated with the FAA.