Nationwide ground stop halts US flights, stranding travelers
A rare nationwide ground stop caused extensive delays at major US airports, leaving hundreds of thousands of passengers seeking alternatives.
Confusion spread across United States airports on Nov. 13 after the Federal Aviation Administration issued a rare ground stop that halted all flights, leaving travelers without clear guidance and facing long delays.
At LaGuardia Airport in New York, Janice Llewellyn, 61, expressed concern that the disruption could cause her to miss her daughter’s wedding in Toronto. She told AFP, "I may lose my mind. My husband flew all the way from England to get to the wedding. I wish they had another flight, I wish I could get another flight, like, now."
In Las Vegas, some passengers were informed that wind contributed to the delays, while airline staff gave varying estimates for the duration of the stop, ranging from eight to 24 hours.
Government officials indicated that the grounding resulted from a major communications outage rather than any malicious attack, though the explanation did not ease passenger uncertainty.
The lack of information prompted long lines at rental-car counters as travelers searched for alternative transportation. Joseph Anderson, attempting to return to Oakland from Las Vegas, said he was considering driving, noting, "if the whole country is stopped, that means the highways are going to be jammed too."
A 72-year-old retired Air Force veteran reported that his checked luggage remained at the airport, adding, "we’re kind of stuck. I would hope the communication can be better from the FAA."
The ground stop occurred less than two weeks before the Thanksgiving travel peak and coincided with a busy weekend for professional and college sports, affecting both fans and teams.
In New York, Tiara Johnson, 50, who was traveling to Orlando for a concert, said, "You think you’re going to be there in three hours, but your whole evening is kind of done."
Hagit Levy Shalev, 54, booked a new flight for the following morning and remarked, "I’ll get there. One more extra day away from the kids."
The incident highlighted the challenges of managing large-scale disruptions in the nation’s air travel system.