Travelers stranded, flights canceled after ground stop. Here's what we know
More than 3,800 flights were canceled Saturday, according to flight tracking website FlightAware, while around 2,000 others were delayed.
As of Saturday, the travel industry in the United States faced significant disruptions after a national ground stop left thousands of flights canceled or delayed. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy confirmed that planes were now taking off and landing safely, but travelers should remain vigilant for ongoing delays. Over 3,800 flights were canceled that day, with around 2,000 more facing delays, according to FlightAware.
This was the first nationwide ground stop since January 2023, when a key FAA computer system malfunction occurred. The latest stop began at 3:36 p.m. EST on Friday, affecting approximately 3,500 flights already in the air. The FAA lifted the ground stop around 8:20 p.m. EST the same day, marking the first such incident since the September 11, 2001 attacks.
Officials attributed the ground stop to aging system infrastructure and legacy technology, specifically Cisco 600 series routers manufactured between 2001 and 2006. While the FAA is working to modernize this aging infrastructure with a $12.5 billion down payment from President Trump, more funding is sought - $50 billion in total.
Despite assurances from officials that the situation is safe, travelers are advised to check with their airlines for flexible rebooking options as operations continue to recover.
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