From NBC Bay Area · · 1m 50s
Airlines recover from 25-year nationwide ground stop
U.S. airlines work to resume flights after longest ground stop in 25 years.
In brief
U.S. airlines work to resume flights after longest ground stop in 25 years. Over 2,000 flights canceled as U.S. airlines recover from the longest nationwide ground stop in 25 years. Originally reported by NBC Bay Area.
Ground stop impact
Over 2,000 flights canceled Saturday as airlines work to recover from the longest nationwide ground stop in 25 years.
Ground stop cause
Trump administration officials said new technology overloaded antiquated equipment causing intermittent communications and radar gaps.
Ground stop duration
The stop lasted more than four hours before being lifted around 8:15 p.m. ET Friday.
Global effects
Flights to and from the U.S. delayed or canceled at London’s Heathrow Airport including American Airlines flights to Dallas and Los Angeles.
Passenger stories
Emily Brown waited over four hours at Dallas airport for her flight to Columbus, Ohio before giving up on plans to surprise her daughter’s best friend.
Sports teams affected
Auburn University's football team took a bus to Mississippi State after pushing back game start time from noon to 4:15 p.m. ET.
Flight tracking
FlightAware reported over 2,500 flights canceled in the U.S. Saturday with hundreds delayed.
FAA response
Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy blamed Congress for failing to approve more funding for new technology.
System upgrades
The FAA has replaced thousands of old copper wires with fiber optic lines and upgraded hundreds of radio systems.
Past issues
Aging equipment caused brief radar outages last year and a fiber optic line cut in September disrupted flights across the Northeast.
Expert analysis
Aviation safety expert Steve Arroyo said the nationwide scale left controllers unable to reliably talk to pilots.
Next steps
The FAA expects the system to return to normal in time for Thanksgiving travel rush.
The bottom line
Over 2,000 flights canceled as U.S. airlines recover from the longest nationwide ground stop in 25 years.
