Travelers and crew feeling \u2018pissed\u2019 or \u2018lucky\u2019 depending on level of upset amid nationwide ground stop<\/p>\n
T<\/span>he US Federal Aviation Administration\u2019s decision to ground all flights on Friday threw airports and travel plans into chaos across the country, as passengers on planes and in airport terminals were suddenly thrust into limbo.
At New York\u2019s John F Kennedy airport, passengers found their travel plans abruptly cancelled \u2013 some even after they\u2019d boarded.
Steve Honberger, heading home to Portland, Oregon, with his wife and daughter, said he\u2019d been on a plane about to take off when the shutdown was announced.
\u201cThey didn\u2019t seem to know what\u2019s happening, and they wanted to hold off as long as possible,\u201d Honberger said. The plane sat at the gate for an hour and 40 minutes.
They realized they were just going to be sitting at the gate, so they eventually asked to deplane and rebook.
Many still thought it worth showing up despite the uncertainty of when flights would resume. Rashid Kahn, heading for Miami, said he\u2019d \u201cheard about the ground stop on the news, but the airline said we might take off 10 or 11pm\u201d.
\u201cI am hopeful,\u201d he added. \u201cBut maybe it\u2019s something to do with the date. I\u2019m not super serious, but it\u2019s Friday the 13th.\u201d
Tom Rolenaitis, returning a Shiba Inu show dog named Tsuki to Finland, said it was frustrating. \u201cIt\u2019s cutting into a three-day trip and I have to get him back to his owner. We have no idea what\u2019s happening.\u201d
A flight attendant headed for Barcelona, who declined to give his name, said he had been told his American Airlines flight would be slightly delayed and all incoming international flights were being allowed to land.
Another crew member from the flight said cheerfully: \u201cThings happen. Hopefully it will all be resolved.\u201d
As the day wore on, passengers on international flights began to be boarding, prompting applause to erupt at the gates. \u201cIt\u2019s moving, so that\u2019s good,\u201d said an airline representative. \u201cBut only international is going.\u201d
The FAA issued the nationwide ground stop on Friday afternoon, citing a communications problems at regional air traffic control centers, according to an FAA notice. Four hours later, FAA sent out an advisory lifting the stop.
\u201cYou can\u2019t moan about this kind of thing … it\u2019s such a first-world problem,\u201d said Laura, a woman who lives in New York and was heading for San Francisco when her JetBlue flight was grounded. She still hoped her flight would go. \u201cThat what I have to figure out,\u201d she said, sitting on the floor of the terminal.
With the lifting of the ground stop, more chaos followed. \u201cMy flight was cancelled, then I go to a kiosk, put my information in and it says I\u2019m leaving at 3am. Then I talk to the desk and they know nothing,\u201d said Larson Welsh, heading to Las Vegas from Paris.
The outage has nonetheless caused upheaval for thousands of passengers. There have been 10,343 flight delays within, into or out of the US so far, according to the website FlightAware, and 1,479 cancellations. More than 1,000 aircraft were bound for US when the ground stop was announced, according to Flightradar24.
Only two national ground stops have previously been issued: on 11 September 2001, after the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center; and in January 2023, after a communications failure.
The ground stop also snarled the sports world, leaving NBA, NHL and college teams stranded as they tried to reach their destinations before a big weekend of games. It also was unclear whether referees, who typically fly to their assignments the day before games, would make it on time.
Back at JFK, travelers expressed frustration and resignation.
\u201cMy flight to California was cancelled with no information and no rebooking. My flight was cancelled last night as well due to bad weather. Now I\u2019m missing a family event,\u201d said a man who gave his name only as Andy. \u201cIt\u2019s frustrating. And I\u2019m pissed.\u201d
Honberger, meanwhile, tried to stay optimistic, saying: \u201cThere are people sitting on tarmac, so we count ourselves lucky and we were able to book ourselves a hotel for the night.\u201d
Tom Johnson and agencies contributed reporting<\/em><\/p>\n