KUSA — Denver International Airport briefly stopped all incoming and outgoing flights Tuesday afternoon due to strong winds and blowing dusts.
DIA spokesperson John Leavitt says the airport diverted incoming flights or put them in a holding pattern until the wind calmed down.
That was lifted, but the high winds have meant the airport can only utilize its east/west runways. Around 25 flights were diverted to airports including the one in Cheyenne. The closure of the Colorado Springs airport forced DIA to change up how it normally diverts flights.
Some flights were able to land.
"It depends on what kind of conditions we're seeing when they're trying to land," DIA's Mindy Crane said.
All flights were delayed between 30 to 45 minutes. Leavitt says those delays are likely to increase until normal operations resume.
Leavitt says all passengers should call their airline before coming to the airport to check their flight status.
Gusts were over 50 miles per hour in Denver Tuesday afternoon, and the wind knocked out power for thousands, closed major highways and toppled trees across the Front Range.
