PHOENIX — The nationwide ground stop is over, but delays and cancellations carried over to Saturday for many passengers at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. A consumer advocate says it could happen again.
More than 330 flights out of Sky Harbor were delayed or canceled Saturday, according to the flight-tracking site FlightAware. As of early Saturday night, over 130 departures were canceled and over 20 were delayed.
Counting arrivals, more than 650 flights in and out of Sky Harbor were delayed or canceled, according to FlightAware.
The Federal Aviation Administration halted departures at U.S. airports Friday afternoon after problems with air traffic control communications. The FAA lifted the ground stop Friday night, after more than four hours.
It was the longest nationwide ground stop in 25 years, the first since January 2023, and only the second since the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said Saturday that a faulty router might have caused the communications outage. Investigators haven't figured out what exactly caused the router to fail, but Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said officials found no evidence of a cyberattack.
Nearly 6,500 flights within, into, or out of the U.S. had been canceled Saturday night, after over 9,100 cancellations Friday, according to FlightAware.
Michaela Munson of Rogers, Arkansas, said the Delta flight she and her father took out of Las Vegas was canceled Friday after flights were grounded. Her group switched to American Airlines and flew into Phoenix on Saturday morning.
Munson said she last saw their bags at 5 a.m. Saturday, and the group had no trackers in them.
“We have no idea where our bags are,” Munson said.
Mike Trzaska of Warren, New Jersey, came to Arizona for his nephew’s doctoral defense at the University of Arizona. His flight home was pushed back, but he never got a notice from the airline.
“I was gonna fly out five o’clock, now I’m flying out seven,” Trzaska said.
Ekta Sethi of Chandler was supposed to fly Southwest Airlines to Houston on Saturday for her nephew’s first birthday. She said the boarding time kept changing while the screens at the gate did not update, and had to call her son to pick her up once her flight was pushed back to the Sunday.
“I have wasted my whole day today. So yeah, it is frustrating, definitely,” she said.
Chantha Son, who lives in Atlanta, came to Arizona to visit a friend. He was supposed to fly home early Saturday for the wedding of two of his best friends.
Just before dinner Friday, he learned not only about the ground stop, but that his flight wasn't taking off on time.
“I was able to get in touch with them for a minute via text last night and this morning to alert them that I might not be there,” Son said.
Son now won't land in Atlanta until 6 a.m. Sunday, after the wedding.
“It’s really important that I’m there,” Son said.
Teresa Murray, consumer watchdog director at U.S. Public Interest Research Group, said passengers who decide not to travel shouldn't cancel their flights on their own.
“Say your flight is scheduled to fly out tomorrow. You’re hearing about thousands of cancellations and delays, and you’re like, ‘I do not want any part of that mess.’ Don’t just cancel your flight, because you won’t get your money back,” Murray said.
Murray said to wait for the airline to cancel, or to contact the airline directly. Airlines are offering waivers for changed flights that would cover flights Saturday and Sunday.
If an airline cancels a flight and the passenger does not rebook, the passenger is owed a full refund, Murray said. She also advised to turn down travel vouchers and take the refund.
Under the U.S. Department of Transportation’s automatic refund rule, passengers are also owed a refund when a domestic flight is changed by more than three hours and they do not accept a new flight or travel credit. The refund is supposed to be automatic.
FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said Saturday that air travel should be fully recovered by the end of Sunday. He said there would still be delays and cancellations Saturday, but that the “worst is behind us."
Murray says travelers should still prepare for any adjustments.
“The DOT and DHS haven’t said that this isn’t gonna happen again. Hopefully, it doesn’t, but it could."
Murray also advises travelers to watch out for scams. Calls, texts, and emails that look like they come from an airline may come from someone else, and scammers can pay for search listings so fake customer service numbers show up near the top. Checking the airline’s app or logging in to your account can help you make sure.
PIRG, a nonprofit, has more flight tips and passenger rights resources at pirg.org/flighttips.
