NORFOLK, Va. — Passengers at Norfolk International Airport were left scrambling to rearrange travel plans Friday after a nationwide Federal Aviation Administration ground stop triggered delays and cancellations across the country.
The FAA issued the ground stop after communications problems affected multiple Air Route Traffic Control Centers. The agency said technicians were investigating the issue.
For travelers in Norfolk, the effects showed up on departure boards as flights were delayed and canceled, leaving some passengers uncertain about whether they would reach their destinations.
Samantha Sheets was trying to get to Pittsburgh. She arrived at the airport already aware of the ground stop but remained optimistic that her flight would eventually leave.
“I get here. I already knew about the stop, but I was like being optimistic and I hung out with the Burger King for like an hour and then my flight got canceled,” Sheets said.
The cancellation left Sheets trying to figure out her next move.
“I really need to get to Pittsburgh really bad,” she said. “If not, I’m kind of stranded here cause I have no business being in Norfolk.”
For LaMichelle Hecht, the disruption threatened a much different trip. She was trying to fly to Milwaukee for a funeral and planned to return after only one day.
Hecht said she and her traveling companions checked their bags normally before realizing something was wrong as their scheduled departure time approached.
She went to the airline desk and was initially told there was an air traffic control issue. After learning the problem was nationwide, Hecht said they began considering going home rather than waiting at the airport.
“We decided it may be better for us to go home cause it was just we’re just going there one day for the funeral and coming right back,” she said.
The FAA later lifted the nationwide ground stop at 8:15 p.m. Eastern, but officials warned that air travel would not immediately return to normal. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said travelers should continue checking with their airlines as flights gradually resume.
The disruption affected thousands of flights nationwide and delays and cancellations were expected to continue as airlines worked to reposition aircraft and crews.
For passengers in Norfolk, what began as a wait at the gate turned into a decision over whether to keep waiting, find another way to travel or abandon their trips altogether.
Click here to see how we use AI at WTKR News 3.
