EconomyUnited States

FAA ground stop halts US flights, leaving thousands canceled

The FAA halted departures across the country on Friday for more than four hours. The agency blamed a malfunction linked to an upgrade of its telecoms network, and the halt has since been lifted.

Illustration: A busy airport apron at dusk with rows of unbranded passenger jets parked nose to tail at their gates, baggage carts standing idle and the tarmac empty of any plane moving.
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The stop began at about 4 p.m. Eastern time on Friday. As of Saturday morning, about 2,000 flights to, from or within the U.S. were delayed and nearly 3,800 had been canceled, according to FlightAware. Airports and airlines were still catching up on Saturday, with many travelers trying to reach their destinations.

Illustration: A departures hall seen from above in the evening, with luggage trolleys and plain suitcases piled beside rows of empty seats, a few small anonymous travelers waiting near plain unmarked check-in desks.
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Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said on Friday night that he expected the return to normal air travel to be slow. Several college football games had their Saturday schedules changed, including games involving Ole Miss, Kansas State University and the University of Utah.

We don’t really need any investigation … we need further investment

Mike Johnson, House Speaker

A Trump administration official offered help to college football teams affected by the halt. New York's governor called for Duffy to resign after the air travel chaos.

Flights hit as of Saturday morning

  • Canceled flights3,800 flights
  • Delayed flights2,000 flights

Flight counts from FlightAware, as of Saturday morning.

Mike Johnson, the House Speaker (R-La.), stated that the halt did not call for any inquiry. Robert Sumwalt, who previously led the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), argued the halt pointed to a deepening problem in the air traffic system. Captain Laura Einsetler, a commercial airline pilot, and Todd Yeary, a former air traffic controller, also gave their reactions. Julian Kheel, CEO of Points Path, offered tips for travelers who want to safeguard their funds when trips fall through.

Background

A former top FAA official has warned that recovery could take 48 hours after aging technology was overwhelmed before the stop. Commentary has also described the air traffic system as having chronic weak points.

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