Travellers at Minneapolis–St Paul International Airport are facing widespread disruption after a nationwide ground stop halted flights across the United States, with services now gradually recovering.
The Federal Aviation Administration said the stoppage followed communication problems affecting several air-route traffic control centres. It was described as the longest nationwide ground stop in 25 years.
Although departures resumed after more than four hours, airlines warned that delays and cancellations could continue as aircraft and crews were repositioned.
Joe Sierens, whose journey was disrupted, said he had been due to fly from Detroit at 5pm as the ground stop came into effect.
“It sucks,” he said. “It is what it is. But taking it minute by minute, hour by hour. And hoping to get home sooner than later.”
Mr Sierens said he and other passengers remained stranded until about 11.30pm, when their flight finally took off.
Elizabeth Lilly, another passenger at MSP, said she spent about an hour or 90 minutes on hold with Delta while trying to rearrange her travel plans.
A group returning from France reached Minneapolis just before the restrictions were imposed, but were unable to continue their journey.
Kathy Bills said the group paid $800 for a hotel near the airport after finding the area’s accommodation largely full.
“That was the last room at the Hilton,” she said. “The last hotel we could get. People were going all the way out to Eagan. We need some help here.”
Nationwide ground stop leaves passengers seeking refunds and rebooking
Airlines must offer passengers a free alternative flight when a service is cancelled, or a refund if they decide not to travel.
Delta introduced a travel waiver allowing affected customers to change flights without additional fees. The airline said on Saturday that passengers should expect further schedule changes while normal operations were restored.
United also issued a waiver covering travel affected by the air traffic control outage on 13 and 14 November.
Passengers have been advised to check directly with their airline for the latest flight information and details of any available assistance or compensation.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned that further disruption could occur over the coming days. Officials nevertheless said they expected the air travel system to be operating normally in time for the Thanksgiving travel rush.
