AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin
A huge dust storm in Phoenix forced more than 40 flights to land elsewhere on Monday evening, delaying passengers by up to five hours.
Also known as a haboob, the enormous wall of dust darkened the sky and left thousands of people without power.
The ensuing storm brought heavy rain and wind, and a temporary ground stop was put in place at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.
One in four flights were delayed throughout the day, numbering over 300, per FlightAware. Data from Flightradar24 showed that 43 were diverted from Phoenix, one of the country’s busiest airports, with over 25 million passengers last year.
The airport’s X account advised travelers to check their flight status before beginning their journeys.
Many diverted flights landed at nearby airports like Tucson, but some others went back to their origins.
British Airways Flight 289 had flown nine hours from London before changing course over Arizona, circling once, then diverting to Las Vegas, 250 miles away.
Meanwhile, an Alaska Airlines flight from Portland, Oregon, spent two and a half hours flying to Phoenix — but had to turn around during its descent.
After nearly four hours in the air, it too diverted to Las Vegas. Both planes later took off again and reached Phoenix with delays of around four hours.
Timelapse of the #haboob from tonight. Stay safe, Phoenix! pic.twitter.com/I3vamwVOZv
— City of Phoenix, AZ (@CityofPhoenixAZ) August 26, 2025
An hour after leaving Burbank, Southwest Flight 1555 twice circled over western Arizona before returning to California. After a two-hour journey, it landed in Ontario, near Los Angeles.
However, it took off again just over an hour later. It touched down in Phoenix at 9:20 p.m., or five hours later than passengers initially expected.
An American Airlines Airbus A321 spent two hours in the air before landing back in Los Angeles. After another two hours on the ground, it took off again and reached the Arizona capital.
It was a similar story for those on board United Airlines Flight 5244, which also returned to Los Angeles before touching down in Phoenix over three hours behind schedule.
It wasn’t just passengers who were affected, either. A small cargo plane operated by Aeronaves TSM circled a couple of times over Arizona before returning to Hermosillo, in northern Mexico, an hour and a half after taking off.
Representatives for Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport could not be reached for immediate comment.
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