Coyote on Arizona Airport’s Airfield Causes Delays

Coyotes are a common sight in Arizona, but it’s not every day that one delays a flight. However, not one, not two, but three arriving flights were briefly delayed when a coyote was spotted roaming Arizona’s Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport’s airfield Monday morning.

A spokesperson for Phoenix Sky Harbor (PHX) confirmed that the coyote eventually left the airfield unharmed, stating that “Airfield staffers were able to coax it to a gate where it exited toward the mostly dry riverbed which borders Phoenix Sky Harbor on the south.”

The spokesperson also confirmed that, during the short time it took for airport staffers to safely clear the runway, three incoming flights were forced to circle the runway.

Aside from the brief delay, overall airport operations were unaffected and returned to normal soon afterward.

Fortunately, no roadrunners appeared on the airfield to cause further shenanigans.