Clovis airport flights delayed due to weather unit shutting down

Several flights at the Clovis Regional Airport were delayed on Monday due to the airport’s automated weather observing system unit shutting down, according to a news release from the City of Clovis.

The AWOS unit is owned, operated, and controlled by the Federal Aviation Administration. The release stated that the unit provides “up-to-the-minute” weather reports, such as wind, temperature, relative humidity and other weather conditions, to pilots. Monitored by the FAA staff, the weather reports are easily accessible via telephone, the internet or by radio.

Amanda Brungart, director of the Clovis Regional Airport said in the release that the unit is a vital system that ensures the safety of everyone who flies in and out of Clovis. She said that if the unit is down, then the airport is required to put flights on pause until the problem is solved.

Voicemail messages were left to get a comment from Brungart but a return call was not received.

According to the release an FAA technician was able to work on the AWOS unit early Monday morning, but the unit was not back up and running until Tuesday morning. Denver Air is now coordinating flights, where passengers of the airport can book and check their flight status.