CHICAGO (WLS) — Hundreds of additional flights were canceled at Chicago airports Saturday after an apparent failure in the Federal Aviation Administration’s aging communications system forced a nationwide ground stop Friday.
The FAA ground stop, which was lifted shortly before 7:30 p.m. Friday, was only the second nationwide stop in the country since the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks and the first since January 2023. Although the four-hour shutdown has ended, it left airlines with thousands of flights to reschedule and crews and aircraft to reposition.
The disruption created crowded terminals and frustrated travelers at both Chicago airports Friday. Some passengers were stranded while aircraft sat on runways waiting for available gates.
Thousands of passengers continued dealing with delays and cancellations Saturday as they worked to reach their destinations and locate missing luggage.
As of 1:43 p.m. Saturday, 605 flights had been canceled at O’Hare and another 72 at Midway. Average delays were 28 minutes at O’Hare and 23 minutes at Midway.
Long lines remained at Chicago airports as travelers dealt with the aftermath of Friday’s hourslong ground stop.
“After last night, I don’t think I want to get on a plane anymore because I don’t actually know what’s going on. They said it was the FAA communications system, but I don’t know—it really sounds weird,” air traveler Gerard Hill said.
Hill and his wife had planned to attend a birthday party in Nashville. Instead, they joined other stranded travelers in searching for their luggage. Among them was Vivian Azeredo, whose flight to Dublin, Ireland, had been canceled.
“Our flight lost contact with the tower during the flight. We were able to land safely, which was great, but then we spent 6 1/2 hours on the tarmac waiting for the plane,” Azeredo said.
The travel problems continued as passengers searched for rental cars and hotel rooms near the airports. Many options quickly sold out.
Dan Throm of Appleton, Wisconsin, and his son were headed to Oklahoma City for the Ole Miss football game when they became stranded at O’Hare International Airport. They were waiting for a way home while also trying to recover their bags.
“It’s been a long road, and they say the bags are here. We’re hoping they can get them to us safely before we leave. Chances are, it will be like most people—we’ll call the number later and hopefully get them down the road,” Throm said.
Although departures resumed, aviation experts warned that the fallout could continue through the weekend. Flight crews may reach their legal time limits, while aircraft remain out of position, potentially triggering more delays and cancellations.
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“It’s mainly exhaustion. I’ve been at the airport since 5 o’clock this morning,” passenger Stephanie Hugel said.
Hugel was among thousands of travelers facing delays. She missed her connection at Midway by two minutes and had to spend the night at the airport.
“I was originally supposed to be home around 12:30 this afternoon, but everything has been shifted around. Now it feels like a never-ending airport journey,” Hugel said.
Airlines worked to rebook passengers after Friday’s nationwide ground stop caused widespread disruptions.
“At this magnitude, the last time we saw something like this was Sept. 11, and that was, of course, a terrorist incident,” said Dr. Sheldon Jacobson of the University of Illinois.
Jacobson said the delays spread throughout the aviation system as the disruption grew.
“There are multiple layers put in place purely for safety purposes. If any one layer is compromised, it can ultimately wreak havoc throughout the entire system,” Jacobson said.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said officials ordered the ground stop after an upgrade to outdated equipment failed.
“We don’t believe this was cyber at all. This was an FAA system that didn’t meet—didn’t meet the moment,” Duffy said.
Airlines were gradually rebuilding their operations, working to put crews and aircraft back where they belonged.
“Flights just kept getting delayed and pushed back. I had to stay there for a while, but we got through it. I’m glad to be back home,” passenger Johnny Barginear said.
At Midway Airport, the average delay Saturday night was 65 minutes. At least three flights had already been canceled for Sunday morning.
“I think it has to end, and I think we all agree it has to end. We need to come together and end it instead of worrying about politics,” passenger Tom McDonald said.
The disruption has also fueled a national debate over funding, but passengers at Midway said their immediate priority was reaching their destinations.
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Problems were reported in Chicago Friday afternoon, before the nationwide ground stop was officially announced.
A ground stop took effect at Chicago O’Hare International Airport at 2:10 p.m. because of an equipment outage. A second stop began at Chicago Midway International Airport at 2:17 p.m.
The nationwide ground stop was not issued until 2:54 p.m. CT.
Late Friday night, the city’s aviation department told ABC7, “No Chicago Department of Aviation infrastructure is part of the affected FAA communications systems.”
Duffy said radar and communications systems had become unstable, describing the technology as outdated and calling for additional funding. Homeland Security officials said they did not believe the incident was a cyberattack, although they had not fully ruled that possibility out.
The ground stop was lifted before 7:30 p.m. Friday, but by then airlines were scrambling to restore normal schedules.
The U.S. disruption also triggered ripple effects at airports around the world.
Mexico’s Federal Civil Aviation Agency said it imposed temporary restrictions as a precaution.
Air Canada canceled flights between Canada and the United States, while Canada’s Civil Air Navigation Service said Canadian systems were not affected.
Flights to Europe were among the first to resume, with airport officials saying those operations use a different system.
The ground stop also disrupted Saturday’s college football schedule as teams rushed to reach their games.
At least one major college football game was rescheduled because of travel problems. Mississippi, ranked No. 19, will play at Oklahoma on Sunday instead of Saturday afternoon.
Major conferences, including the SEC, Big Ten and Big 12, pushed back some Saturday kickoff times to give teams more time to arrive. Some programs chose to travel by bus rather than risk additional flight delays.
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