Heavy fog delayed dozens of flights to and from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) on Friday morning, according to aviation officials.

 

Planes were being held on the ground at LAX and some flights in the air were being diverted to other airports in the region, said Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Ian Gregor.

 

Gregor said he didn't know about departure delays, but there were definitely some flights having been delayed.

 

"Some planes have been able to land, but not all of them," the spokesman said, adding that delays have averaged 48 minutes into the airport and the maximum delay was 144 minutes.

 

Only some pilots are qualified to land in "the worst conditions," he said.

 

However, the spokesman said the visibility in the airport has improved after at least 10 incoming flights were diverted into the nearby Ontario International Airport because of the heavy fog.

 

The National Weather Service said that areas of dense fog would reduce visibility to one quarter mile or less across the Los Angeles County coast.

 

(Xinhua News Agency December 16, 2006)