Dense Fog Plagues John Wayne Airport; More Expected Today

SANTA ANA — Morning flight delays and cancellations, both of which plagued John Wayne Airport on Sunday, could be repeated this morning, according to airport and weather officials.

Departing flights were delayed an hour and arriving flights almost two hours by the dense fog. Even thicker fog is expected today, said meteorologist Curtis Brack of WeatherData Inc.

A Southwest Airline flight and Reno Air flight, both scheduled to fly in from San Jose Airport, were canceled because of foggy weather there, said airport spokeswoman Maudette Ball said.

Seven commercial passenger flights out of John Wayne Airport were delayed at least an hour Sunday and other flights scheduled to fly into the airport were also prevented from landing for more than an hour and a half because of dense fog, she said.

Ball could not estimate how many passengers were inconvenienced because of the delays and cancellations, but a typical Southwest jetliner carries up to 137 passengers, a Southwest operator said.

The airport is advising passengers to call their airline this morning to check on the status of their flights. Brack said the fog will continue through the morning, then there will be increasing high clouds in the afternoon. The prediction for tonight and Tuesday is for partly cloudy skies with some patchy night and morning fog, and cooler temperatures. No rain is expected, he said.