(UPDATE 8:26 a.m. Wednesday) - A power outage impacting two Central Coast airports that also affected 911 services in the region and postponed a SpaceX launch is expected to be restored by late Wednesday morning.
According to the City of Santa Maria, an area also impacted by the 911 outage, the issue was a severed fiber cable. As of 6 a.m., the ground stop at the Santa Barbara Airport was still in effect. Flights at the SLO County Airport resumed Tuesday.
SpaceX is still targeting 11:13 a.m. for the opening of a launch window for NASA’s TRACERS mission from Vandenberg Space Force Base.
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UPDATE (5:17 p.m.) - The FAA has reportedly issued a ground stop at Santa Barbara Airport due to the power outage, which is disrupting communications at the air traffic control tower.
Santa Barbara Airport officials say this is the same outage affecting 911 services in the region.
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UPDATE (2:25 p.m.) - According to the FAA, the power outage that affected flights at Central Coast airports on Tuesday also resulted in the postponement of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launch at Vandenberg Space Force Base. "The FAA took this action to ensure the safety of the traveling public," the agency said in a statement.
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(12:04 p.m.) - Arriving and departing flights at the SLO County Airport were temporarily placed on hold Tuesday because of a "complete power and communications outage at the Santa Barbara Air Traffic Control Tower and Terminal Radar Approach Control," according to airport officials.
Normal flight operations have since resumed.
Airport officials say the Santa Barbara facility is responsible for managing aircraft arrivals, departures and overflights across the San Luis Obispo, Santa Maria, and Santa Barbara areas. For now, the Los Angeles Center has reportedly assumed responsibility for the affected airspace so flights can continue.
The Santa Barbara Airport warned travelers of potential delays and diversions due to the issue.
Passengers are encouraged to double-check their flight status with their airline for the latest updates before going to the airport.
