Peoria Airport Battles Foggy Weather On Busy Travel Day

PEORIA COUNTY -- Wednesday may be one of the busiest travel days of the year, but that doesn't mean Mother Nature will cooperate. Wednesday's foggy conditions are throwing a loop in many people's travel plans.

A weather announcement over the airport's intercom is a sound that left many travelers scrambling to find an alternate route.

Passenger Ardelle Wright said, "I'm stuck here."

Wednesday morning's foggy weather made it difficult to see and for pilots, impossible to land.

Peoria Airport Director Gene Olson said, "The issue is going to be getting the airplanes in for the next round of departures. So we're starting to see some delays and cancellations based on not being able to get the airplane in to Peoria, so it can't turn around and go out."

Olson said the airport relies on a machine to determine when conditions are safe. He said they just have to wait for the OK.

Olson said, "Soon as we can get up a half mile visibility you'll see normal operations."

For hundreds of travelers, their plans lay in the hands of Mother Nature.

Passenger Laura Fredenhagen said, "Well I'm not feeling too good about it, but it happens, can't fight the weather."

Passenger Jane Petersen said, "Well we're delayed here, getting out of Peoria then we're delayed again going from Denver to Seattle."

Passenger Ardelle Wright said, "I just want to get to Florida with my family, so yeah."

For now these passengers will wait.

For the airport, it says safety is still more important than getting people from point A to point B.

Olson said, "It's a safety issue. You would not want an airplane to try to land in visibility that was too low because you couldn't guarantee it would happen safely."

Olson suggests passengers sign up for their airlines automatic notifications so they can stay up to date with flight plans and changes.