This week the Pocket Fire burning north of Sedona has forced officials to cancel at least six flights at the Flagstaff Pulliam Airport.
Fire managers put flight restrictions in place over the wildfire Monday after strong winds pushed the fire toward Flagstaff last weekend.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration, the restrictions are set to last until July 13 and are meant to leave the airspace around the fire open to firefighting aircraft so they can operate safely.
Airport spokesperson Claire Harper says the temporary flight restriction impacts larger commercial aircraft, mostly preventing them from landing or taking off from the airport between 9 a.m. and 8 p.m.
She says during overnight hours the restricted area shrinks overnight allowing more activity at the airport.
“Some flights have been able to land and takeoff during that time,” Harper says.
A spokesperson for American Airlines says the flight restrictions have also created long delays for planes arriving and departing from the airport.
That included three daily flights between Flagstaff and Phoenix canceled on Tuesday and Wednesday as well as a flight to Dallas-Fort Worth.
“To provide customers with additional flexibility, American has issued a Travel Alert for customers traveling to and from [Flagstaff]. Impacted passengers may rebook their travel without change fees, cancel their trip, or request a refund if eligible,” a spokesperson for American Airlines tells KNAU.
