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TravelSaturday, November 14

A nationwide FAA ground stop snarled flights at Sea-Tac on Friday

The SEAtoday teamFrom today’s edition · 1 min read · 6 sources

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If you tried to fly out of on Friday afternoon, you ran into the first nationwide ground stop since 2023, the Associated Press noted. The FAA cited "extraordinary circumstances and for reasons of safety," and the airport said departures were temporarily suspended. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said a communication issue hit all .

The stop lifted nearly four hours later, and FOX 13 says nearly 10,000 flights were delayed nationwide. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said it was done "out of an abundance of caution" and that there were "never any lives at risk."

Friday's ground stop was only the third nationwide in modern U.S. aviation history

  1. Sept. 2001FAA grounded aircraft across the country and shut U.S. airspace by 9:45 a.m.
  2. Jan. 2023FAA's NOTAM system went down, causing a nationwide halt.
  3. Nov. 13FAA halted flights nationwide; the stop lifted nearly four hours later.
  • Michigan State kickoff: 2:30 p.m. Saturday, was 1:15 p.m.
  • Basketball tip at Utah: 11 a.m. PT Sunday
  • UW cross country teams: stranded in Sacramento

Washington teams felt it too. The Huskies football team didn't leave Seattle until after 7:30 p.m., and the men's basketball team now plays at Utah on Sunday instead of Saturday.

Sea-Tac's delays and the price of fixing the FAA's aging systems

227
delays at Sea-Tac in FlightAware's count
3
cancellations at Sea-Tac in FlightAware's count
$12.5 billion
approved by Congress last year for upgrades
$30 billion
more Duffy says the overhaul will need

Sources: MyNorthwest.com, KIRO 7 News Seattle, The Daily of the University of Washington, FOX 13 Seattle, The Seattle Times, Tacoma News Tribune

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  1. KOMO52 minutes ago

    Travelers face delays Saturday as Sea-Tac Airport airlines work to restore flights, on KOMO

    Airlines continue to work on restoring operations after a nationwide ground stop ordered by the Federal Aviation Administration on Friday caused major travel disruptions.

    Also reported byFOX 13 Seattle

  2. KOMO1 hour ago

    Some baggage issues and long lines linger Saturday at Sea-Tac Airport after ground stop, on KOMO

    Travelers at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport are not dealing with a baggage backlog on par with other U.S. airports following Friday's nationwide ground stop, but some issues still persisted Saturday.

  3. KIRO 7 News Seattle4 hours ago

    SEA-TAC remains disrupted as airlines recover from nationwide ground stop, on KIRO 7 News Seattle

    Seattle-Tacoma International Airport faces continued delays and cancellations following a nationwide FAA ground stop.

    Also reported byLynnwood Times

  4. The Seattle Times7 hours ago

    Sea-Tac delays, cancellations after ‘routine’ repairs grounded U.S. travel, on The Seattle Times

    Travelers headed to Sea-Tac and other Northwest airports faced delays and cancellations Saturday as the U.S. air travel system struggled to recover from nationwide pause flights.

    Also reported byKOMO