NORFOLK, Va. — Travelers at Norfolk International Airport were still dealing with flight delays Saturday, even as flights began moving again following a nationwide Federal Aviation Administration ground stop Friday.
Beth Williams of Norfolk said her flight, originally scheduled to depart at 8 a.m. Saturday, was pushed back to 1 p.m.
Williams said she was waiting to feel relieved until her plane was actually in the air.
"We're not on it yet, so we're not relaxed yet. But hopefully it'll all be straight for us," Williams said. " I know a lot of people aren't in that position and they're suffering."
The FAA ground stop left thousands of travelers stranded across the country. FlightAware reported nearly 10,000 cancellations and more than 7,000 delays in the United States Friday.
See previous coverage: FAA ground stop leaves Norfolk airport passengers scrambling
Some travelers were left far from home, including News 3 team member Norma White, who was returning to Norfolk with her husband after a vacation in Punta Cana.
White said they were about to take off when they saw the news.
"We got a push notification from the WTKR app about the ground stop when we were sitting in the airplane waiting to take off," White said.
She said it left them worried about what was happening.
"It's just like that fear of the unknown. It's like, 'oh, shoot, you know, are we under attack?'" White said.
See more coverage: What caused the FAA ground stop? Officials point to router failure during update
The disruption continued after they learned about the ground stop. White said they couldn't return to a gate because they were already occupied by other planes that had been unable to depart.
"All the gates were already full for the flights that they didn't even let pull back. So they had to bring the stairs out. We had to take everything off the plane with us," White said. "They put us on a bus and took us back to the airport. And it was crazy."
White and her husband won't be able to return home to Norfolk until Monday.
Back at Norfolk International Airport, the Welcome Waggin' team was there Saturday to offer travelers some comfort.
Volunteer Ginny Justice said the team was asked to come out following the disruptions.
"There was concern that passengers today might be a little nervous so they asked us to come and volunteer if we wanted to," she said.
Justice said the Welcome Waggin' program has brought 20 certified therapy dogs through the airport for more than a year, giving passengers an opportunity to interact with the dogs and receive emotional support.
"It's just a calming thing to pet on a dog," she said.
The nationwide ground stop lasted more than four hours. While flights are moving again, travelers at Norfolk International Airport are finding out that getting back on schedule will take time.
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