Hundreds of thousands of travellers across the United States were left stranded at airports on Friday after a rare nationwide flight suspension disrupted air travel, triggering confusion, frustration and last-minute searches for alternative transportation.
The disruption followed a nationwide ground stop ordered by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) over communications problems affecting air traffic control centres.
Although the restriction was lifted after more than four hours, passengers continued to face delays and cancellations as airlines struggled to restore normal operations.
In New York’s LaGuardia Airport, 61-year-old Janice Llewellyn was on the verge of tears as the disruption threatened her chances of attending her daughter’s wedding in Toronto, Canada.
Her husband had travelled all the way from England for the wedding, making the uncertainty surrounding alternative flights particularly distressing.
“I may lose my mind,” she told Agence France-Presse.
“Oh gosh! I wish they had another flight, I wish I could get another flight, like, now,” she added.
At Las Vegas airport, passengers complained about receiving conflicting information from airline staff, with some being told their flights were delayed because of strong winds, while others were informed that the ground stop could last eight or even 24 hours.
The uncertainty forced several travellers to consider alternative means of transportation, including hiring rental cars to continue their journeys.
Joseph Anderson, who was trying to return to Oakland from Las Vegas, said he was considering driving but feared that road traffic could also become congested if other stranded passengers made similar decisions.
“If the whole country is stopped, that means the highways are going to be jammed too,” he said.
The 72-year-old retired Air Force veteran also complained that his checked luggage had become inaccessible, leaving him with limited options.
“We’re kind of stuck,” he said, calling for better communication from the aviation authorities.
Meanwhile, 50-year-old Tiara Johnson, who was travelling to Orlando for a weekend concert, feared she would miss the event because of the disruption.
“You think you’re gonna be there in three hours, but your whole evening is kind of done!” she said.
“But hey, they say it’s Friday the 13th!”
At another airport, 54-year-old Hagit Levy Shalev appeared to take the disruption in stride after booking a replacement flight for Saturday morning, extending her work trip by an additional day.
“I’ll get there,” she said with a laugh, adding that the unexpected extension meant “one more extra day away from the kids!”
The disruption also affected passengers travelling for family celebrations, business engagements and sporting events across the country.
According to AFP, the grounding came less than two weeks before the Thanksgiving holiday, one of the busiest travel periods in the United States, and ahead of a particularly busy weekend for professional and college sports.
SaharaReporters earlier reported that the FAA eventually lifted the nationwide restriction after more than four hours, allowing departing flights to resume.
US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy attributed the disruption to an overloaded and ageing air traffic control system, while Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said there was no evidence of a cyberattack.
However, the lifting of the restriction did not immediately resolve the disruption, as airlines continued dealing with delayed departures, cancellations and displaced passengers.
The incident renewed concerns about the reliability of America’s aviation infrastructure and the need to modernise its air traffic control systems.
