The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) grounded all flights on Friday, causing chaos at airports nationwide as thousands of passengers were left in limbo.
At New York’s John F. Kennedy Airport, many travellers discovered their flights had been cancelled abruptly, including some who had already boarded. Steve Honberger, en route to Portland, Oregon with his family, recounted waiting for nearly two hours on the tarmac before they were eventually allowed to disembark and rebook their flight.
Despite the confusion, some passengers still chose to come to the airport. Rashid Kahn, headed for Miami, had been informed that his flight might depart later that night, saying, “I am hopeful,” while jokingly referencing the “bad luck” associated with Friday the 13th.
Others, like Tom Rolenaitis, returning a show dog to Finland, expressed frustration over the delay. “It’s cutting into a three-day trip and I have to get him back to his owner,” he said.
The FAA reported that the ground stop was due to communication issues at regional air traffic control centres. This significant disruption led to over 10,000 flight delays and nearly 1,500 cancellations. Only two prior national ground stops have occurred: one on 11 September 2001 and another in January 2023.
The effects spread beyond aviation, with numerous sports teams stranded as they tried to reach destinations for weekend games. Referees also faced uncertainty about their travel arrangements.
Back at JFK, passenger frustrations were palpable. “My flight to California was cancelled with no information and no rebooking,” said a traveller named Andy, adding he was missing a family event due to the disruption.
Despite the turmoil, Honberger maintained a positive outlook, reflecting, “There are people sitting on the tarmac, so we count ourselves lucky.”
