The Federal Aviation Administration or the FAA issued a nationwide ground stop for all departing flights at airports across the United States on Nov. 13 and lifted it later that evening. Flights resumed, but delays and cancellations continued.

A temporary telecommunications outage affected communications at the 22 regional air traffic control centers that coordinate flights between airports nationwide. The disruption affected controllers’ ability to safely hand off planes from one region to another. 

It was the first nationwide ground stop since January 2023, when an FAA computer-system failure halted departures.

Long Ho, an electrical engineering junior from Texas, planned to fly home on Nov. 18 from San Francisco International Airport (SFO). Although the ground stop had been lifted, Ho said he remained concerned that delays and cancellations could affect his trip.

“Because of these restrictions, I’ll likely be back on a later date instead of the original time, which means I’d need to adjust my plans accordingly,” Ho said. “Being out of state makes it so much harder because I can’t easily go home. It’s stressful to think about this right now, especially because I am still doing midterms and it’s sad to think there’s a possibility I won’t get to see my family.” 

Ho said he was checking with his airline for updates. If his flight is canceled, he hopes to change his ticket to the earliest available flight. 

“We’re encouraging our customers to check with their airline for the latest information about their flight,” Joe Gobel, a public information specialist at San Luis Obispo County Regional Airport, said. 

Although the San Luis Obispo County Regional Airport had not received additional FAA updates, it advised customers to stay informed through its social media channels and website.  The airport recommended customers check with their airline to see if there are changes to departure times or dates.