A nationwide Federal Aviation Administration ground stop halted departures at Harry Reid International Airport Friday afternoon, leaving many flights delayed by hours and security lines backed up. The stop, triggered by an equipment outage affecting communications at regional air traffic control centers, was lifted just after 5:30 p.m. local time. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said fewer than 400 planes were in the airspace at one point and warned it would be "slow" getting traffic back to normal. Airport officials urged passengers to check with their airlines before heading to the airport.
The disruption rippled through Las Vegas' packed sports calendar. The Seattle Seahawks, scheduled to face the Raiders on Sunday, were not set to fly in until Saturday. The Golden Knights' Friday night game against the Nashville Predators at T-Mobile Arena was unaffected, as the Predators had already arrived. UNLV's football team, traveling with a FOX5 reporter, was grounded en route to New Mexico for a Saturday game, while other top college programs — including No. 2 Utah, No. 8 Texas and No. 9 Tennessee — also faced travel delays. The Mountain West Conference said it was monitoring the situation across all sports.
Airlines including JetBlue, United and Aeromexico issued advisories warning passengers to verify flight status before traveling. CNN reported roughly 10,000 flights impacted nationwide by 3 p.m. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin sought to reassure the public, saying, "There's no reason to be concerned about your loved ones if they're flying." The FAA said the last nationwide ground stop of this kind occurred after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
Sources: FOX5 Vegas
Original reporting: 8 News Now →
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