u.s. air travel news

'Travel Armageddon' as flight delays, cancellations pile up: What's going on?

Travel issues continued piling up for fliers as flight delays and cancellations topped 10,000 — a tumultuous weekend for holiday travel blamed on staffing shortages, packed planes and the ripple effects from previous bad weather.

On Monday, more than 3,000 flights within, into, or out of the U.S.  were delayed and about 370 flights canceled, as of 5 p.m. ET, according to FlightAware . TSA projected on Twitter that Monday could be Seattle-Tacoma International Airport's busiest day since the start of the pandemic .

"This has been another travel Armageddon weekend," James Ferrara, co-founder and president of global host travel agency InteleTravel, told USA TODAY. "But it's not isolated, or really a surprise."

Friday was the busiest day for air travel this year with over 2.4 million people passing through security at U.S. airports, according to the  Transportation Security Administration . On Saturday, there were 2.1 million travelers.

The U.S. has dominated global flight issues, but it isn't the only country having airline issues; worldwide, an additional 3,500 flights have been canceled and over 23,000 have been delayed this weekend.

Currently, passenger volumes nationwide for this month are 87.7% of 2019 volumes, according to TSA spokesperson Lorie Dankers. The average number of people screened per day is 2.24 million compared to 2.56 million in June 2019.

"This is the highest sustained level we have seen since travel began to recover from the pandemic," Dankers told USA TODAY on Monday.

Nationwide, Delta and United have the highest number of cancellations, with 7% and 3% of flights canceled, respectively, not including flights on their regional affiliates. Airports that are seeing the most issues include Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, John F. Kennedy International Airport and LaGuardia Airport in the New York City area. 

SATURDAY:  US flight cancellations, delays continue Saturday: More than 4,000 flights affected so far

FRIDAY AND THURSDAY:  6,000+ US flights canceled or delayed Friday after one of worst summer air travel days yet

Why are flights being canceled and delayed?

There are several factors contributing to the ongoing situation at the nation's airports, notably the severe storms that hit much of the country the past week , the increased number of travelers during the Father's Day and Juneteenth weekend and staff shortages.

"A variety of factors continue to impact our operations, including challenges with air traffic control, weather and unscheduled absences in some work groups. Canceling a flight is always our last resort, and we sincerely apologize to our customers for the inconvenience to their travel plans," Delta spokesperson Emily Cashdan said in a statement to USA TODAY.

Ferrara said the loss of skilled positions, such as pilots and aircrew, is "really what's driving" all of the airline issues. Pilot unions at Delta, American and Southwest have said airlines haven't been quick enough to replace pilots who retired or took leaves of absences when the pandemic began.

"We're in a boom time for travel. We're blowing away all records all previous years. So you've got this surge in demand, and you've got limitations on staffing," Ferrara said. 

On Thursday, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg met with airline CEOs virtually to discuss how airlines can effectively handle the growing number of travelers through the summer. The meeting came weeks after airlines struggled with the Memorial Day holiday weekend, when around 2,800 flights were canceled during the five-day stretch . 

"That is happening to a lot of people, and that is exactly why we are paying close attention here to what can be done and how to make sure that the airlines are delivering,"  Buttigieg told The Associated Press on Saturday, one day after his own flight from Washington, D.C. to New York City was canceled. 

How long will flight cancellations and delays continue to happen?

"I'm not a betting man. But I would absolutely bet that this will continue through the summer," Ferrara said. 

Josh Verde, former pilot and aviation expert with airline consultation group  Aerovise , said he wouldn't be surprised if travel woes continue throughout the rest of the year. Summer is expected to be the busiest time of the year, but holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas might bring similar issues for travelers. 

"I think we're probably going to be dealing with headaches for the rest of this year. Hopefully, they'll get a handle on things," Verde said.

What should travelers do?

If your flight is canceled,  the U.S. Department of Transportation requires airlines rebook you on the next available flight with space. You are not obligated to accept it, and if so, the airline is required to give a refund, which can be given as your money back, travel credit or voucher.

If your flight is delayed, the length of the delay matters. The DOT says passengers are eligible for a refund regardless of cause as long as it is a "significant delay." However, the definition of a "significant delay" depends on the airline. 

"Learning that your flight is canceled, kind of unexpectedly, really just causes chaos," Verde said.

Verde recommends travelers try to keep a flexible schedule so if flight plans change, vacation plans and other scheduled activities aren't heavily affected. He also advises people bring essential items, like water, medication and toiletries, in their carry-on bag, so they are available at any moment if people are unavailable to get to their checked bag.

Contributing: Zach Wichter, USA TODAY; The Associated Press

Follow Jordan Mendoza on Twitter:  @jordan_mendoza5 .

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Delta flight makes emergency return after exit slide separates from Boeing aircraft

A Boeing 767 passenger aircraft of Delta Air Lines arrives from Dublin at JFK International Airport in New York as the Manhattan skyline looms in the background on Feb. 7, 2024. Charly Triballeau/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

A Boeing 767 passenger aircraft of Delta Air Lines arrives from Dublin at JFK International Airport in New York as the Manhattan skyline looms in the background on Feb. 7, 2024.

A Delta Air Lines flight that departed from John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City was forced to make an emergency return to the airport Friday morning after an emergency slide came apart from the Boeing 767, the airline said. A search for the slide was ongoing.

"After the aircraft had safely landed and proceeded to a gate, it was observed that the emergency slide had separated from the aircraft," a Delta spokesperson said in a statement to NPR Friday afternoon.

In a statement, the Federal Aviation Administration said Delta Flight 520 "returned safely to John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York around 8:35 a.m. local time on Friday, April 26, after the crew reported a vibration. The FAA will investigate."

The Delta spokesperson said the airline "is fully supporting retrieval efforts and will fully cooperate in investigations."

American Airlines passenger alleges discrimination over use of first-class restroom

In an earlier statement, Delta said the flight crew had observed a "flight deck indication related to the right wing emergency exit slide, as well as a sound from near the right wing."

The plane, a Boeing 767-300 that was delivered to Delta in 1990, was on its way to Los Angeles International Airport, but had to return to JFK about an hour into the flight, according to FlightAware , a flight tracking site.

A passenger who was aboard the flight and did not wish to be identified while still in transit told NPR that there was a very loud sound coming from the plane, which made it difficult to hear announcements coming from the cockpit.

The passenger told NPR they felt "overwhelmed" and "really scared" by the experience.

A Delta flight was forced to return to its departure airport. FlightAware hide caption

A Delta flight was forced to return to its departure airport.

According to imaging from FlightAware, the aircraft circled the tristate area before returning to JFK.

"As nothing is more important than the safety of our customers and people, Delta flight crews enacted their extensive training and followed procedures to return to JFK," Delta said in its initial statement to NPR. The airline said the flight crew declared an emergency with air traffic control to receive clearance to return to JFK. The aircraft then landed safely and proceeded to a gate under its own power, it said.

Delta told NPR that there were no pressurization issues on the aircraft. It said the plane has been removed from service and will be thoroughly evaluated.

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Airlines are ordered to give full refunds instead of vouchers and to stop hiding fees

An aircraft is generally operable for an average of 30 years before being decommissioned, according to Flexport , a global logistics workflow company. The aircraft involved in Friday's incident is around 34 years old, and its expiration date was previously May 2028, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

"We will defer to Delta for comment," a Boeing spokesperson said.

In June of last year, the same flight , Flight 520 from JFK to LAX on a Boeing 767-300, was forced to make an emergency landing in Utah following on-board technical difficulties.

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Winter Storm Disrupts Thousands of Flights on a Busy Holiday Travel Day

Wind, ice and snow snarled air travel across the United States, and played havoc with rail and road travel as well.

By Shannon Sims and Tariro Mzezewa

• Dec. 23, 2022

Travelers across the United States were split into two groups on Friday: those caught in logistical turmoil caused by the “bomb cyclone,” and those being spared, at least for the moment.

A total of 5,100 flights within, into, or out of the country were canceled and 8,400 others were delayed on Friday, disrupting holiday travel plans for thousands of travelers, according to Flight Aware , a flight tracking service.

Major airports in Cleveland, Buffalo and Chicago reported by Friday morning that more than half of their departing flights were canceled, Flight Aware showed. Freezing rain led to the closure of all runways at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, scrambling holiday travel plans for thousands of people.

Some carriers, including Alaska Airlines and Allegiant Air, canceled more than one-third of their flights on Friday. More than 400 Southwest Airlines flights were delayed. The Canadian low-cost carrier WestJet and its subsidiary Swoop reported the highest proportions of cancellations: 48 percent and 81 percent, respectively.

But airport hubs in Atlanta, Dallas and Los Angeles were seeing only 5 to 6 percent of departures canceled as of Friday afternoon.

“Feels like pretty normal travel for me,” said Caroline Neary, a Ph.D. student who was flying home for Christmas on Friday, from Houston to West Palm Beach, Fla., by way of Atlanta. “I was worried about the ripple effects from storms elsewhere, but I haven’t seen any cancellations or major delays in my trip.”

The wave of colder weather had arrived in New York by Friday afternoon with temperatures falling below freezing, preceded by gusty winds. The cold was expected to reach Miami by Saturday morning, leaving many travelers bracing for the worst.

The weather disruptions are striking just as travel volume has been approaching prepandemic levels. In mid-December, AAA predicted that nearly 7.2 million Americans would fly between Dec. 23 and Jan. 2, and that another 102 million would drive at least 50 miles for the holidays.

The expected surge in travel for the holiday season contributed to the stress, with travelers complaining on social media about long lines at airport check-in counters and delays on the tarmac. By late Friday morning, disruptions elsewhere in the country had begun to affect places that had been spared so far, including San Diego and Houston.

The headaches for travelers in the Northeast had already begun by Friday morning, before the storm hit the region. Logan Airport in Boston reported that 25 percent of its outbound flights were canceled, and La Guardia Airport was seeing one-third of departures scratched. In Buffalo, almost four-fifths of scheduled arrivals had been canceled.

“The whole system feels it when you have one or two major hubs impacted,” Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said Friday morning. “Right now we have multiple major airline hubs impacted.”

Many departing flights were canceled not because of bad conditions at that airport, but because poor weather elsewhere delayed or disrupted an earlier arriving flight, leaving no airplane available where it would be needed.

Major U.S. airlines, including American , Delta and United , said they were waiving change fees for some travelers affected by the severe weather.

Ice and snow were hampering travel on the ground as well as in the air. Amtrak announced on Wednesday that it was canceling trains on its Midwest routes, including those between Chicago and Michigan, through the weekend, out of “an abundance of caution.” On Friday, it added several Vermont routes to the list.

In Seattle, King County Metro suspended all bus service Friday morning, citing “deteriorating and unsafe road conditions.” Bus fares were being waived on Friday in Sioux Falls, S.D.

Power outages across the country left more than a million customers without electricity and posed additional dangers and delays for drivers.

An earlier version of this article misstated the city where bus fares were being waived on Friday. The fares were waived in Sioux Falls, S.D., not Sioux City, Iowa.

How we handle corrections

Tariro Mzezewa , a former national correspondent at The Times, is a reporter who writes about culture and style. More about Tariro Mzezewa

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FAA outage: Damaged database file took down safety system, grounding flights

What you need to know about the faa computer outage.

• Normal air traffic operations were resuming across the U.S. on Wednesday, the Federal Aviation Administration said, after an overnight computer outage grounded thousands of flights .
• The FAA said its Notice to Air Missions system, or NOTAM, which contains information essential to workers involved in flight operation, had "failed."
• A corrupted and damaged database file in the system was blamed for the stoppage, the FAA said.
• More than 1,300 flights were canceled Wednesday and 10,000 were delayed Wednesday.

Over 1,300 cancellations, 10,000 delays in U.S. Wednesday

Phil Helsel

There were 1,343 flights canceled within, into or leaving the U.S. on Wednesday, the day a computer outage halted all departures in the country.

The number of delayed flights in the U.S. on Wednesday was 10,060, according to the flight tracking website FlightAware .

New York’s LaGuardia Airport had 50% of its departing plans delayed, according to the website. Denver International had 60% of its departing flights delayed.

The Federal Aviation Administration said a damaged database file was found as it investigated the cause of the outage to its Notice to Air Missions system. “There is no evidence of a cyber attack,” the agency said.

Aviation warning system that crashed was already a pain for pilots

Kevin Collier

The U.S. aviation warning system that crashed for more than an hour Wednesday traces its origins to ocean-faring ships and has been under continuous reforms for years, experts say.

At least one aviation industry group has called for it to be replaced altogether.

The Federal Aviation Administration  grounded all flights  blaming an unspecified failure in the Notice to Air Missions system. NOTAM issues a near-constant stream of acronyms and abbreviations to alert pilots to a host of potential dangers, from parachuters and bad weather to legal airspace restrictions and flocks of birds.

By Wednesday evening, the agency had pinpointed the problem as a damaged database file, and there is no evidence of a cyberattack, it said.

Regardless of the cause, the NOTAM system has long been a source of frustration for pilots and others in the aviation industry, who say it overloads them with information that’s irrelevant to their flights and makes it difficult to identify actually useful information.

Read the full story here .

More than 1,300 flights still delayed across U.S.

Tim Stelloh

More than 1,300 flights were delayed and nearly 100 were canceled Wednesday afternoon after a corrupted file knocked out a government system that provides pilots with critical information, halting flights across the country overnight.

Flights resumed Wednesday morning . According to the tracking site FlightAware , Denver International Airport led the country with delays, at 111.

Charlotte Douglas International Airport in North Carolina was second, with 95.

The average departure and arrival delays were under an hour at both airports, according to the site.

Nearly 10,000 flights had been delayed across the country Wednesday, according to the site. More than 1,300 had been canceled.

Corrupted file affected critical FAA system, official says

Jay Blackman

A corrupted file affected both the primary and backup systems of the Federal Aviation Administration’s Notice to Air Missions system, a senior government official said. 

The failure of the critical system prompted a ground halt at airports across the country early Wednesday before passengers slowly began boarding flights again.

It isn’t clear how the file was corrupted. An investigation continues.

Buttigieg: 'No direct indication of any kind of external or nefarious activity,' but not ruling it out

Julianne McShane

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg told NBC News' Andrea Mitchell that "there is no direct indication of any kind of external or nefarious activity, but we are not yet prepared to rule that out."

He added that officials are working "to see exactly what was going on inside the files that were in the system, leading to this irregularity."

"This is an incredibly complex system," Buttigieg said later in the interview. "So glitches or complications happen all the time, but we can’t allow them to ever lead to this level of disruption, and we won’t ever allow them to lead to a safety problem."

The Transportation Department forced airlines to pay out millions of dollars in refunds last year for canceled and delayed flights , but Buttigieg stopped short of agreeing that it should refund travelers after the FAA outage when Mitchell posed the question.

"We’re not for-profit companies selling tickets that the way an airline is," he said. "Our responsibility is to make sure that everybody is safe, and we’re always going to err on the side of safety. ... When there’s an issue on the government side of the house, when there’s an issue in FAA, we’re going to own it, we’re going to understand it, and we’re going to make very clear what’s needed in order to fix it and go after that plan."

Largest pilots union 'encourages patience' as delays mount

The largest pilots union in North America encouraged travelers Wednesday to be patient after the nationwide ground halt on flights as data from the tracking site FlightAware.com showed ongoing delays.

“We are in regular contact with the Federal Aviation Administration and will continue to work with them and airline managements to ensure our aviation system continues to be as safe as possible," the Air Line Pilots Association International said in a statement.

The group represents 67,000 pilots at 40 U.S. and Canadian airlines.

FlightAware showed delays of as many as 48% of flights for Southwest Airlines, 44% for American Airlines and 38% for United Airlines and Delta Air Lines.

Meanwhile, a spokesman for the American Airlines pilots union said he respected the decision to issue the nationwide stop, as it was most likely necessary to ensure safe travel.

Still, "this shouldn't be happening," said Dennis Tajer, a spokesman for the Allied Pilots Association. "This is a learning moment — but we have to get those moments down to a minimum."

This traveler is rushing home to perform plastic surgery

Deon J. Hampton

Performing plastic surgery was on the line if Dr. Robert Feczko didn’t make it home to North Carolina. 

His ski trip to Colorado ended as his Delta fight from Denver International Airport to Atlanta was delayed two hours. Complicating matters, Feczko, 37, would most likely miss his connecting flight to Raleigh, North Carolina, and push back the final stretch of his trip — a 90-minute drive home to Greenville, North Carolina.

Feczko said that he wanted to feel fresh to perform surgery Thursday morning but that before he left Colorado, he wasn’t sure whether he’d even make it home.

“I’m more concerned about my flight routing through Atlanta,” Feczko said, waiting in line to check his ski equipment. “I’m worried about tomorrow. I have a surgery at 7:30 a.m.”

Canada's air navigation service provider experiencing NOTAM outage

Canada's air navigation service provider, Nav Canada, was experiencing the same computer system outage the FAA did, it tweeted shortly after 12:30 p.m. ET.

"NAV CANADA's Canadian NOTAM entry system is currently experiencing an outage affecting newly issued NOTAMs, and we are working to restore function," the statement read. "We are not currently experiencing any delays related to this outage. We are assessing impacts to our operations and will provide updates as soon as they are available."

Vanessa Adams, a spokesperson for NAV Canada, said in a statement that the outage began at about 10:20 a.m. ET and that power was restored at about 1:15 p.m.

"We are still investigating the root cause of the failure," Adam said. "At this time, we do not believe the cause is related to the FAA outage experienced earlier today."

As of about 3 p.m. ET, both Toronto Pearson International Airport and Montréal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport had average departure delays of 28 minutes (and increasing), while Ottawa International Airport had average arrival delays of 32 minutes.

Earlier Wednesday, Air Canada tweeted that all customers traveling to and from the U.S. should check the status of their flights on its website after the FAA outage.

More than a quarter of Air Canada flights — 123 — were delayed as of 3 p.m. ET, FlightAware showed, while 13 were canceled.

A delayed flight leaves one traveler in tears — and out of $500

At Denver International Airport, the computer outage delayed Mine Mizrak’s Southwest flight to Los Angeles and forced her to miss her connecting Turkish Airlines flight to her native Istanbul, where she planned to reunite with family.

Mizrak, a mechanical engineer, moved to Denver last year, leaving behind her mother and other relatives, whom she hasn't seen since.

“I’ve been looking forward to this for the past month,” she said, sitting down in a chair counting the time until her next flight departs. Once she does, her trip will become pricier.

While Mizrak, 25, paid $1,000 in airfare, she said, she’ll have to pay an additional $500 once she lands in California to ensure she gets home because of her missed flight at LAX.

“I’ve been crying, because I could’ve spent that money on something else in Istanbul,” Mizrak said. She said Turkish Airlines won’t reimburse her for the money because the outages didn’t affect international flights.

A Turkish Airlines spokesperson didn’t immediately respond to an inquiry.

Buttigieg says no 'nefarious' cause found so far

American airlines, delta resume operations with ongoing delays.

American Airlines and Delta Air Lines resumed operations late Wednesday morning after the FAA outage, although with significant delays.

At 10:45 a.m. ET, more than 950 American Airlines mainline and regional flights had departed, according to information provided by the airline. 

As of 12:30 p.m. ET, just under 1,200 American Airlines flights were delayed, amounting to 40% of its flights, and more than 180 had been canceled, amounting to 6% of its flights, FlightAware reported.

In a statement, American Airlines said it was continuing to “closely monitor” the FAA outage and was “working to minimize further disruption to our customers and operation.” Customers whose flights were affected by the outage could rebook their travel for Wednesday and Thursday “without any additional fees,” the airline said, directing travelers to its website or its app for the latest flight information.

Delta was slightly less affected than American, with just over 1,000 flights, or 35%, delayed and 58, or 2%, canceled as of 12:30 p.m. ET, according to FlightAware.

Nearly half of Southwest flights delayed just weeks after mass cancellations

Nearly half of Southwest Airlines flights were delayed as of about 11:15 a.m. ET, according to FlightAware, making the already beleaguered carrier one of the most affected by the morning's outage.

More than 1,700 Southwest flights were delayed, amounting to 45% of its overall flights.

The latest delays come just weeks after the airline canceled thousands of flights in the travel-heavy days after Christmas, which it blamed on "operational challenges” following days of  severe winter weather .

In a statement provided to NBC News, Southwest Airlines spokesperson Dan Landson said the airline anticipates "some schedule adjustments will be made throughout the day."

"As always, we encourage Southwest Customers to check their flight status at  Southwest.com  or via our mobile app," Landson continued. "We’ve also posted a  Travel Advisory  on our website to highlight the flexible rebooking options being offered to Customers."

Chart: See the spread of flight delays Wednesday

Nigel Chiwaya

JoElla Carman

Jasmine Cui

Ground stops lifted at Chicago airports, though delays continue

Ground stops have been lifted at Chicago's O'Hare and Midway international airports, the Chicago Department of Aviation said in a statement shortly after 10 a.m.

"Residual delays or cancellations will likely continue throughout the day as a result of this morning’s outage," it said, adding that travelers should continue to check their flight status before heading to the airports.

As of about 10:45 a.m. ET, O'Hare was reporting average arrival delays of an hour and 16 minutes (and decreasing), and average departure delays of an hour and 39 minutes (and increasing), according to FlightAware . More than 200 of its flights — 23% — were delayed, and 39 flights were canceled.

Midway was experiencing average arrival delays of 48 minutes (and decreasing) and departure delays of an hour and 51 minutes (and decreasing), according to the tracking website . More than 40% of its flights — 116 — were delayed, and 22 were canceled.

FAA outage was a 'catastrophic system failure,' U.S. Travel Association CEO says

Wednesday's FAA computer outage was a "catastrophic system failure" and "a clear sign that America’s transportation network desperately needs significant upgrades," according to the head of the U.S. Travel Association.

"Americans deserve an end-to-end travel experience that is seamless and secure. And our nation’s economy depends on a best-in-class air travel system," said Geoff Freeman, the president and CEO of the nonprofit and advocacy group representing more than 1,100 member organizations in the travel industry.

"We call on federal policymakers to modernize our vital air travel infrastructure to ensure our systems are able to meet demand safely and efficiently,” he added in a statement.

Senior law enforcement official: No evidence of cyberattack

Ken Dilanian

A senior law enforcement official told NBC News that the FBI has seen no evidence that a cyberattack caused the computer outage that grounded thousands of flights.

Cyber security experts say the most common cause of problems like the one Wednesday is a bad software update.

What is NOTAM, the system that had an outage causing a nationwide flight fiasco

Most people will never have heard of "NOTAM," but it is the reason thousands of travelers were stuck in airports or stewing over delayed or canceled flights Wednesday.

The acronym stands for "Notice to Air Missions," and refers to the computer system that distributes "information essential to personnel concerned with flight operations but not known far enough in advance to be publicized by other means," according to a webpage on the Federal Aviation Administration website. (The page was no longer accessible shortly after 9:30 a.m. ET.)

The notices flag abnormalities such as "runways being closed for maintenance, ground stations being out, construction cranes that may be in the proximity of a runway," NBC aviation analyst Capt. John Cox said on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe."

The notices are written in a specific format with "a unique language characterized by the use of specialized contractions" standardized by the International Civil Aviation Organization, according to the FAA . To the untrained eye, the notices look like a random series of letters and numbers.

“It’s a pretty extensive list that the crews get just before departure,” Cox said. “For this NOTAM system to be out — I don’t ever remember it failing before, and I’ve been flying 53 years, so it really is unusual.”

Buttigieg says DOT will seek to learn 'root causes' of meltdown

David K. Li

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg vowed that his agency will get to the "root causes" of the massive system meltdown that grounded flights across America.

Wednesday's FAA debacle is the latest airline headache that's impacted mass numbers of U.S. travelers. Buttigieg on Tuesday said his department would be holding Southwest Airlines accountable for its holiday season cancellations.

More than 540 Delta flights delayed, 14 canceled

More than 540 Delta flights were delayed as of 9:13 a.m. ET Wednesday, amounting to 19% of the overall, while 14 had been canceled, according to FlightAware.

The airline said in a tweet it was "safely focused on managing our operation during this morning’s FAA ground stop for all carriers."

Fiancé called just as he was about to board flight to reunite them

Henry Austin

After six weeks apart, Wyatt Cosich was about to board the plane taking him home to see his fiancé, Samantha Martinez, when she called and told him about thousands of flights being grounded.

Cosich, 22, told NBC News by telephone Wednesday that he was lining up to get on the plane at San Antonio International Airport, set to take off at 6:15 a.m. local time (7:15 a.m. ET), when Martinez, 23, said they would have to be separated for a little while longer.

“I was really looking forward to seeing her,” Cosich said of Martinez, adding that he had traveled to Texas from their home in Newton, North Carolina, for a job opportunity. He added the pair were getting married Sept. 9.

“There about five gates and around 200 to 300 people here,” he said, adding that airport staff had been providing regular updates to passengers, although most of the time they had been saying, “no more news.”

Unlike some passengers who he said had been getting frustrated with the delays, Cosich said he was calm and while it was unclear when and how he would get home, he praised the airport staff for their professionalism: “They’ve been great.”

FAA says ground stop has been lifted

Jason Abbruzzese

American Airlines: 'We're closely monitoring the situation'

American Airlines — which had just over 100 of its flights canceled and nearly 300 delayed as of 8:20 a.m. ET, according to the flight tracker FlightAware — said in a tweet just before 8 a.m. ET that it is "closely monitoring the situation and working with the FAA to minimize customer disruptions."

FAA says some departures resuming from Atlanta and Newark

Photo: the departures board at ronald reagan airport in washington.

Expert: Domestic flights won't be back to normal until Thursday or Friday

NBC aviation analyst Capt. John Cox said on MSNBC's "Morning Joe" that domestic flights won't return to their normal schedules until Thursday or Friday given the "domino effect" of the delays and cancellations caused by the nationwide computer outage.

"There's a domino effect to this — airplanes move around the world, and consequently, as an example, an airplane that's trapped in New York, in four hours, is expected to be in Los Angeles, in five hours. And so the people in Los Angeles that are depending on that airplane, their flight will be either delayed or canceled, and the airplane would then say, 'Go to Hawaii, and then come back,'" he said. "So you've got all of these airplanes moving around throughout the day."

"I think it'll certainly be tomorrow at the earliest, and potentially the day after, before the system's back to 100%," Cox added.

2,512 flights to or out of the U.S. delayed, flight-tracking site says

The tracking website FlightAware reported that 2,512 flights had been delayed leaving or entering the United States by 7:56 a.m. Wednesday.

Total cancellations stood at 254.

White House: No evidence of cyberattack right now but DOT doing 'full investigation'

All american airlines flights from paris delayed, airport operator says.

All American Airlines flights from Paris have been delayed until further notice, Groupe ADP, an international airport operator based in the French capital, told NBC News on Wednesday.

Air France, meanwhile, said its flights from the U.S. were going ahead as planned and were not affected by the FAA notice, and it understood that the problems with the system would be fixed soon.

United delays domestic flights until 9 a.m. ET

United Airlines said in a statement Wednesday it had temporarily delayed all domestic flights until at least 9 a.m. ET.

"The FAA system that sends out important real-time flight hazards and restrictions to all commercial airline pilots — Notice to Air Missions (NOTAM) — is currently suffering a nationwide outage. United has temporarily delayed all domestic flights and will issue an update when we learn more from the FAA."

In a tweet, Southwest Airlines urged customers to check the status of their flights in the Southwest app or on its website.

FAA pauses all domestic departures until 9 a.m. ET

Flight radar shows aircraft over the united states at 7 a.m. et.

Sec. Buttigieg tweets he's been in touch with FAA

Hundreds of flights already affected.

Chantal Da Silva

About 760 flights within, into and out of the U.S. were delayed as of around 6:30 a.m. Wednesday morning, according to online flight tracker  FlightAware . Around 90 flights were listed as canceled.

“Operations across the National Airspace System are affected,” the FAA said in a statement.

“The FAA is working to restore its Notice to Air Missions System. We are performing final validation checks and repopulating the system now,” it said.

Click here to read the full article.

FAA still working to restore computer system

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Us air traffic operations resume after faa grounds flights due to system outage: here's the latest.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has lifted the order grounding U.S. flights on Wednesday morning, CNBC reports. More than 1,200 U.S. flights were delayed after the FAA witnessed an outage of the system that sends messages to pilots.

In a tweet, the FAA confirmed that, "Normal air traffic operations are resuming gradually across the U.S."

Update 5: Normal air traffic operations are resuming gradually across the U.S. following an overnight outage to the Notice to Air Missions system that provides safety info to flight crews. The ground stop has been lifted. We continue to look into the cause of the initial problem — The FAA (@FAANews) January 11, 2023

Earlier on Wednesday morning, CNBC reported that Airlines for America, an industry group representing major U.S. carriers, said “This technology issue is causing significant operational delays across the National Airspace System.” The group represents  Delta Air Lines Inc  (NYSE:  DAL ),  American Airlines Group Inc  (NASDAQ:  AAL ),  United Airlines Holdings Inc  (NASDAQ:  UAL ),  Southwest Airlines Co  (NYSE:  LUV ).

Related:   Southwest’s Holiday Crisis Could Cost It Up To First Nine Months Of FY22 Earnings, Analysts Say .

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France's Air Traffic Control Strikes Ground Flights Across Europe

France's Air Traffic Control Strikes Ground Flights Across Europe

FILE PHOTO: Passengers stand in front of a departures board inside the Terminal 3 at Orly Airport, near Paris, France, July 1, 2021. REUTERS/Sarah Meyssonnier/File Photo

PARIS/LONDON (Reuters) - Delays and flight cancellations were set to impact swathes of Europe on Thursday, after authorities failed to reach a deal with some French air traffic control workers to avert a strike.

France's DGAC civil aviation authority said on Wednesday it had asked airlines to cancel 75% of Thursday's flights at Paris Orly airport, 55% of flights at Paris Charles-De-Gaulle and 65% of flights at Marseille.

Air traffic control strikes in France frequently impact travel in Europe, limiting not only flights into France but also across the country's airspace.

Ryanair had warned it would have to cancel over 300 flights, including from Great Britain to Spain or to Italy, as a result of Thursday's strikes, renewing pressure on European Union officials to place more pressure on France to limit the impact of the labour actions.

"French air traffic controllers are free to go on strike, that's their right, but we should be cancelling French flights, not flights leaving Ireland, going to Italy, or flights from Germany to Spain or Scandinavia to Portugal," Ryanair Chief Executive Michael O'Leary said in a statement on Wednesday.

The cancellations came even after the SNCTA, the biggest of France's air traffic controllers union, said it was calling off the April 25 strike after reaching a deal with management over working conditions.

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The deal came too late to avoid traffic disruptions and discussions had still not been finalised with other unions, DGAC said.

"While the withdrawing of strike notice may offer some relief for some passengers, its last-minute nature means that there will still be significant disruption to flights in France and across parts of Europe," said Ourania Georgoutsakou, head of industry group Airlines for Europe (A4E), on Wednesday.

A4E said 16,000 flights were cancelled and 85,000 delayed last year due to air traffic control strikes in Europe.

Airline officials have also voiced concerns that air traffic control strikes could pose a risk to the Paris Olympics if sufficient deals aren't struck in advance.

With over a million travellers expected to pass in and out of Paris during the Games, strikes could cause even wider spread disruption.

(Reporting by Joanna Plucinska in London and Dominique Patton in Paris; Editing by Benoit Van Overstraeten)

Copyright 2024 Thomson Reuters .

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Tags: Ireland , France , The Olympics , European Union , Europe

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Dubai plans to move its busy international airport to a $35 billion new facility within 10 years

This artist’s rendering provided by the government of Dubai shows plans for Al Maktoum International Airport at Dubai World Central in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Dubai International Airport, the world’s busiest for international travel, will move its operations to the city-state’s second, sprawling airfield in its southern desert reaches “within the next 10 years” in a project worth nearly $35 billion, its ruler said Sunday, April 28, 2024. (Dubai government via AP)

This satellite image from Planet Labs PBC shows Al Maktoum International Airport at Dubai World Central on Friday, April 26, 2024. Dubai International Airport, the world’s busiest for international travel, will move its operations to the city-state’s second, sprawling airfield in its southern desert reaches “within the next 10 years” in a project worth nearly $35 billion, its ruler said Sunday, April 28, 2024. (Planet Labs PBC via AP)

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Dubai International Airport, the world’s busiest for international travel, will move its operations to the city-state’s second, sprawling airfield in its southern desert reaches “within the next 10 years” in a project worth nearly $35 billion, its ruler said Sunday.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum’s announcement marks the latest chapter in the rebound of its long-haul carrier Emirates after the coronavirus pandemic grounded international travel. Plans have been on the books for years to move the operations of the airport known as DXB to Al Maktoum International Airport at Dubai World Central which had also been delayed by the repercussions of the sheikhdom’s 2009 economic crisis.

“We are building a new project for future generations, ensuring continuous and stable development for our children and their children in turn,” Sheikh Mohammed said in an online statement. “Dubai will be the world’s airport, its port, its urban hub and its new global center.”

The announcement included computer-rendered images of curving, white terminal reminiscent of the traditional Bedouin tents of the Arabian Peninsula. The airport will include five parallel runways and 400 aircraft gates, the announcement said. The airport now has just two runways, like Dubai International Airport.

The financial health of the carrier Emirates has served as a barometer for the aviation industry worldwide and the wider economic health of this city-state. Dubai and the airline rebounded quickly from the pandemic by pushing forward with tourism even as some countries more slowly came out of their pandemic crouch.

The number of passengers flying through DXB surged last year beyond its total for 2019 with 86.9 million passengers. Its 2019 annual traffic was 86.3 million passengers. The airport had 89.1 million passengers in 2018 — its busiest-ever year before the pandemic, while 66 million passengers passed through in 2022.

Earlier in February, Dubai announced its best-ever tourism numbers, saying it hosted 17.15 million international overnight visitors in 2023. Average hotel occupancy stood at around 77%. Its boom-and-bust real estate market remains on a hot streak , nearing all-time high valuations.

But as those passenger numbers skyrocketed, it again put new pressure on the capacity of DXB, which remains constrained on all sides by residential neighborhoods and two major highways.

Al Maktoum International Airport, some 45 kilometers (28 miles) away from DXB, opened in 2010 with one terminal. It served as a parking lot for Emirates’ double-decker Airbus A380s and other aircraft during the pandemic and slowly has come back to life with cargo and private flights in the time since. It also hosts the biennial Dubai Air Show and has a vast, empty desert in which to expand.

The announcement by Sheikh Mohammed noted Dubai’s plans to expand further south. Already, its nearby Expo 2020 site has been offering homes for buyers.

“As we build an entire city around the airport in Dubai South, demand for housing for a million people will follow,” Dubai’s ruler said. “It will host the world’s leading companies in the logistics and air transport sectors.”

However, financial pressures have halted the move in the past. Dubai’s 2009 financial crisis, brought on by the Great Recession, forced Abu Dhabi to provide the city-state with a $20 billion bailout.

Meanwhile, the city-state is still trying to recover after the heaviest rainfall ever recorded in the UAE , which disrupted flights and commerce for days.

French Air Traffic Controllers Strike - Bulletin 1   

TRAVEL EXCEPTION POLICY ADVISORY                        French Air Traffic Controllers Strike - Bulletin 1 ISSUED:  April 22, 2024, 9:05 AM ET

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