Severe winds cause delays and cancellations at Colorado Springs Airport Wednesday

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- Severe winds gusting across Southern Colorado led to numerous delays and cancellations at the Colorado Springs Airport, as airport officials said it could be one of the worst days of delays this year.

Winds gusted at more than 90 miles per hour at the airport Wednesday. Those winds caused twelve delays and eight canceled flights by midday.

The strong winds not only have travelers waiting for their next flight -- but also have some feeling out of control.

"Feel like I am going to fall over," one traveler said.

"It's pretty strong out there now, it wasn't that bad when I first got to the airport; now I can tell why they canceled the flight, and I am kind of glad they did," said another traveler.

For pilots and their airline, it all depends on the aircraft — and the direction of the wind - but at 91 miles per hour, it's safe to say it's not a good idea to fly the friendly skies. Dana Shield with Colorado Springs Airport says they are proactive in ensuring safety.

"The airports operational team really is on high alert for any type of damage that can be caused or can interfere with operations, so they can have continuous polls of the air to ensure there is no debris or anything that can interfere with aircraft," added Shield.

The airport canceled and delayed flights to Denver, Dallas and Phoenix.

Now the airport says its also worried about damage to the building.

"There is just heightened alert and awareness to ensure there is no down trees or large branches or any kind of object that can impede traffic coming in or out of the airport," said Shield.

If you have a flight Wednesday night or Thursday morning, make sure to check on its status and plan ahead with extra time. For an update on cancellations and delays click here.