A massive Federal Aviation Administration ground stop disrupted air travel across the United States on Friday, leaving passengers and animals stuck in airports for hours.
The disruption, which affected nearly all flights to and from Oregon and much of the country, was driven by communications problems at regional air traffic control centers, according to the FAA. While the FAA ground stop ended shortly before 6 p.m. Pacific time on Nov. 13, officials warned that clearing the massive backlog of flights would be a slow process.
The chaos hit various demographics with different stakes, from business travelers to families and even foster animals. For many, the sudden halt turned routine trips into long periods of uncertainty at terminals like Portland International Airport.
Travelers face delays at Portland International Airport
At PDX, the atmosphere shifted from routine travel to a massive “cat-herding” task for airport staff as they worked to redirect travelers facing significant delays, opb reported.
Some travelers found themselves stuck mid-journey. Andra Kaufman, a business traveler, had already boarded her 1:15 p.m. flight and was prepared to head to Little Rock, Arkansas, after a week of hotel stays. After the doors to her plane had already closed, the crew announced a series of delays before informing passengers of the nationwide grounding.
“We were completely boarded. They had closed the doors to the plane,” Kaufman said. Eventually, staff told passengers to gather their belongings and exit the aircraft “for comfort” while they waited for further updates.
For others, the frustration was personal. Gwen Ma, 54, was caught in San Francisco International Airport while attempting to transport two foster kittens, Candy Cat and Domingo, to a child’s birthday party in Portland. Although she missed her deadline, Ma planned to try for a flight the following day.
“This is supposed to be a fun trip,” Ma said. “I will at least try to get on our flight tomorrow to take these kittens up to those kids.”
Impact on youth sports and local families
The grounding also threatened the weekend plans of community groups, including a girls’ softball team attempting to reach Southern California for a tournament. Only three of the players had reached their destination by the time the disruptions peaked, leaving the team short of the nine players required to compete.
Laura Berta, a parent of one of the players, said that her 14-year-old daughter, Mackenzie, was managing the wait by hanging out with friends at the airport. However, the stakes for the tournament remained high.
“I think if it comes down to not being able to make it down there, she’s going to be very, very upset,” Berta said.
While some travelers, like Portland resident Chris Cloney, remained optimistic about rebooking, others faced the immediate reality of a Friday the 13th travel nightmare. Cloney had been en route to the airport when he received a text that his flight was canceled, though he hoped to find a later connection that same day.
Federal officials have not yet provided a specific timeline for when the full flight schedule will return to normalcy. Whether the backlog can be cleared without further technical issues remains the primary concern for the aviation industry.
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