SFO Officials say it Could Be Days Before Backlogged Flights Clear

San Francisco, Calif. (KCBS)  -- Although airline service has been restored between San Francisco and Denver, it's still going to take a while to sort out the mess at SFO caused by the shutdown of services in Denver because of Wednesday’s blizzard.

For some the ordeal is over. 

Flight 97-88 was the first to travel to San Francisco from Denver since that city's airport was shutdown by snow. “This is my Christmas gift right here,” said one elated passenger who arrived from Denver.

But others have not been so lucky.

“The lines, the massive amount of lines,” bemoaned another traveler.

Those who are hoping to fly into Denver could have an especially long wait.

Joel Crain of San Francisco is on a standby list to fly to Denver sometime this weekend if a seat opens up.  “I am booked for a flight that will indefinitely leave that I will have a seat on, on Christmas Day at 4:30 that night, so that will be a fun Christmas,” he said.

He was supposed to fly to the Mile High City Thursday but Mother Nature stepped in.

Airport officials say it could take three to five days to get through the backlog of cancelled flights.

Denver International Airport began reopening runways Friday at mid-day after a two day shutdown caused by a massive blizzard that dumped up to two-feet of snow in some metro locations.