Fog delays flights at local airports

Flights scheduled to arrive at San Francisco International Airport are delayed by up to half an hour, airport duty manager Lily Wang said shortly before 8:30 a.m. "We have less than a quarter-mile visibility right now and it's been like this since early morning," Wang said. Delays to departing flights are likely later this morning, when the arrival delays begin to affect turnaround, Wang said. She said delays might extend to longer than half an hour later today. Mineta San Jose International Airport spokesman David Vossbrink said Southwest Airlines has canceled three departing flights and three arriving flights due to the fog. "Other airlines are waiting on the ground or circling to arrive," he said. At Oakland International Airport, departing flights are delayed by up to half an hour, spokeswoman Cyndy Johnson said. "We're caught up into it as well," she said. She did not have an estimate on how long the delays might last. Wang pointed out that the San Francisco airport, like the other two airports, has a cell phone parking lot where drivers picking up arriving passengers can wait rather than circling the terminals. The lot has a kiosk with information on arrival times, she said. Additionally, San Francisco airport users can sign up at www.flysfo.com to receive text messages about flight delays or cancellations. Passengers are also advised to check with their individual carriers for a flight's status.