Flights bound for Washington Dulles International Airport in northern Virginia were held at their departure airports on Wednesday because of runway construction, disrupting services across a wide area of the United States.
The ground stop affected flights originating in parts of the south-east, mid-Atlantic, north-east, Florida, the Great Lakes region and the Midwest, according to the US Federal Aviation Administration’s National Airspace System status information.
The restriction was initially scheduled to remain in place until 11.30am local time, although air traffic authorities warned that it could be extended.
A later FAA advisory said passengers could face arrival delays and airborne holding of up to 30 minutes at Dulles between 11am and 1pm because of the runway works.
The airport, identified by the code IAD, serves the Washington DC region and is one of the capital’s principal international gateways.
