Logan Airport Faces Delays After FAA National Ground Stop

“It might take a day or two to get back to normal, similar to a blizzard,” said Jennifer Mehigan, a spokesperson for Massport, which runs Logan Airport.

I’ve been briefed on the FAA’s nationwide ground stop and am in touch with @Massport about what it means for people flying in and out of Massachusetts. We’re working to get answers from federal officials and will share updates as soon as we have more information.

— Post by @MassGovernor on X

Travelers faced severe disruptions on Friday when a national ground stop halted domestic flights across the United States. Federal transportation officials implemented the halt around 4 p.m. following a telecommunications outage, marking only the second time such a nationwide measure has been taken since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

The Federal Aviation Administration previously halted traffic due to a communications outage in 2023. Representatives from the transportation administration clarified that the situation fell short of being “a complete blackout” while emphasizing that passengers were kept out of harm’s way.

Markwayne Mullin told reporters at the White House that there was no prior indication of a nefarious attack, attributing the disruption entirely to a telecommunications failure. Mullin, serving as Homeland Security Secretary, told reporters at the White House, “There was no prior indication, or indication as of yet, that this was a nefarious attack against us,” and added, “This is a telecommunications outage as of now.”

“It’s going to continue to fail,” Sean Duffy, the secretary of transportation, said of the agency’s air traffic control systems. “How many times does this have to happen for Congress to give the money to fix it?”

At Boston Logan International Airport, helicopters circled overhead while aircraft lined the runways. Passengers filled the terminals, trying to move through the sudden standstill. Brandon Northway, 27, found himself stuck on the tarmac after landing on a flight from Dallas, describing the situation as a game of musical chairs with other delayed aircraft. His phone was flooded with messages from family and friends.

Logan airport runway in boston massachusetts

“I panicked for a minute,” said Northway, who was ultimately bound for an engagement party. He also said, “It’s been a long week, I’m ready to get off the plane,” and “I was ready to relax, now I got to deal with this.”

The FAA ultimately attributed the malfunction to an outdated system and overloaded routers.

R. John Hansman, who teaches aeronautics and heads the International Center for Air Transportation at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, drew a parallel between the scale of the halt and a heavy winter storm, pointing out that carriers frequently require multiple days to sort out their flight rosters. Hansman said, “This is like having a snowstorm everywhere in the country.”

Stranded travelers rushed to secure available hotel rooms or rebook flights, with customer service lines stretching up to 100 people long. Dara Albrecht, a 26-year-old Harvard law student, described the terminal conditions as a madhouse before managing to rebook a flight for Saturday morning.

Albrecht said she still counts herself as one of the lucky ones, noting that it will make her late to a wedding. “I was just glad to get out of the airport,” she said.

“When you got into the terminal it is apocalyptic,” Albrecht told The Boston Globe. “It’s devastating.”

Hotels near the airport experienced a sudden surge in calls, quickly depleting remaining vacancies. Rosemary DeMaria, 31, was preparing to board a flight to Philadelphia when the ground stop was announced over the loudspeakers.

“Kind of stuck here and stranded, not knowing what to do,” DeMaria said.

Governor Maura Healey said that she was briefed on the ground stop and remained in contact with Massachusetts Port Authority officials regarding the impact on travelers. By 10:30 p.m., tracking data showed 24,948 delays and 8,054 cancellations nationwide, with Logan Airport logging 249 delays and 386 cancellations.