FAA Lifts Ground Stop, But Delays Linger at San Antonio Airport

The Federal Aviation Administration ended a nationwide ground stop on Friday evening after a communications failure disrupted air traffic control centers.

The disruption grounded departing flights for more than four hours. The FAA warned that travelers should still expect delays and cancellations as airlines work to restore schedules.

Matt Wilkenson was traveling to San Antonio from Washington, D.C., when he learned of the issue via a text message from a coworker. He tried to organize a drive back to the East Coast with colleagues but they declined.

“So, I’ll be staying here and just relaxing in my hotel, until they get this thing fixed. What else can you do?” Wilkenson said.

Dr. Jennifer Nixon faced a different challenge. Her sister is in hospice or heading to hospice, so the group needed to reach her quickly. The next available flight was not until Sunday.

“Now, the next flight they have available isn’t until Sunday. So that’s stressful,” Nixon said.

FlightAware data reported by ABC News showed nearly 5,000 flights were canceled nationwide by late Friday. Another 800 cancellations had already been reported for Saturday.

The Associated Press reported that at least 600 flights were diverted during the disruption. Some passengers skipped their flights and rented cars to reach their destinations.

JetBlue warned that disruptions could continue into Saturday. United Airlines said it planned to cancel most of its remaining Friday night flights.

Duffy acknowledged that restoring normal operations would take time as airlines reposition aircraft and crews.