Nationwide FAA ground stop updates: US air travel disruption causes Chicago Midway, O'Hare flight delays, cancellations

CHICAGO (WLS) — Hundreds more flights have been canceled at Chicago airports on Saturday after a reported failure in the Federal Aviation Administration’s aging communications system grounded departures across the U.S. on Friday.

The nationwide FAA ground stop is just the second in our country since the stop issued right after the September 11th attacks. The four-hour stop is now over, but on Saturday morning, it has left airlines with thousands of flights to get back on track.

ABC7 Chicago is now streaming 24/7. Click here to watch

The problems led to large crowds and aggravated travelers at both of Chicago’s airports on Friday. Passengers were left stranded and planes were parked on runways, waiting for gates.

And issues were seen in Chicago before the nationwide ground stop was officially issued.

There was a ground stop at Chicago O’Hare International Airport at 2:10 p.m. because of an equipment outage. Another stop began at Chicago Midway International Airport at 2:17 p.m.

The national ground stop was not issued until 2:54 p.m. CT. However, late last Friday night, the city’s aviation department told ABC7, “No Chicago Department of Aviation infrastructure is part of the affected FAA communications systems.”

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy says there was instability with radar and communications, calling the technology outdated and demanding more funding. Homeland Security officials say they do not believe it was a cyberattack, but they have not fully ruled it out.

The ground stop was lifted before 7:30 p.m. Friday, but by then, airlines were left scrambling to get flights back on schedule.

As of 1:43 p.m., 605 flights had been canceled at O’Hare and 72 more at Midway on Saturday. Delays were averaging 28 minutes at O’Hare and 23 minutes at Midway.

Meanwhile, the problems in the U.S. have led to a ripple effect around the world.

Mexico’s Federal Civil Aviation Agency says it implemented temporary restrictions as a preventative measure.

Air Canada canceled flights between Canada and the United States, but Canada’s Civil Air Navigation Service said there was no impact to Canadian systems.

Flights to Europe were among the first to resume, with airport officials saying they use a different system.

The ground stop is also impacting Saturday’s college football slate as teams scramble to get to scheduled games.

At least one major college football game has been rescheduled due to travel issues. Mississippi, ranked 19th, will play at Oklahoma on Sunday instead of Saturday afternoon.

Major conferences like the SEC, Big Ten and Big Twelve have moved some of Saturday’s kickoff times back to allow teams extra time to arrive. Some teams have opted to travel by bus rather than risk further flight delays.

Source: abc7chicago.com