DENVER -- The Federal Aviation Administration is halting all traffic at Denver International Airport due to low visibility during the springtime blizzard that started early Wednesday morning.
There is no estimated time for flights to resume.
Earlier Wednesday morning, Denver International Airport recovered from a power outage caused by blizzard conditions.
Xcel Energy was on scene and restored power at about 9:15 a.m. to the aircraft fuel facility and the aircraft deicing facility. The power was out for nearly an hour.
DIA says aircrafts are now able to refuel and make their way to the deicing process. The airport expects the FAA to slowly begin allowing inbound flights to Denver as the capacity becomes available.
Despite the restoration, DIA still had significant flight delays due to the power outage that affected several operations systems Wednesday morning.
DIA is expecting 6 to 10 inches of snow accumulation through the end of Wednesday.
Passengers should confirm their flight schedules and plan to arrive at the airport at least two hours prior to their flight – and build in extra time to travel on wet or icy roads. Travelers should check their flight status before leaving for the airport with their airline or on www.flydenver.com.
During the power outage the airport did not have the ability to pump aircraft fuel from its fuel storage facility, and aircraft that require refueling were not able to depart. Some aircraft were still able to depart if they did not require refueling. The airport also did not have the ability to pump aircraft deicing fluid to the deicing trucks, however the airport did have a limited supply that was already available for use in the trucks. This combination of factors led the FAA to implement a ground stop, which is holding all arriving flights destined for Denver, Wednesday morning.
The airlines have reported hundreds of cancellations Wednesday due to the weather before the power outage even happened.
Snow-removal crews have been deployed and will remain out until the storm is over. DIA has more than 250 pieces of airside snow removal equipment and 110 pieces of equipment for landside parking lots and roadways, and more than 500 trained snow-removal personnel.
The equipment being deployed for this storm includes blowers, brooms, blades, plows, runway sanders, 4,000 gallon chemical trucks, loaders with box plows, snow melters and multi-function equipment.
The airlines are expected to be in full deicing operations for the duration of the snow. Passengers should expect to spend a little extra time on the aircraft prior to departure. The average deicing time is approximately 16 minutes, but can vary based on the type of aircraft.
The airport is encouraging passengers who are driving to the airport to allow plenty of extra time and to drive with extreme caution.
