Friday afternoon the Federal Aviation Administration ordered a nationwide ground stop affecting all U.S. airports, prompting major delays for El Paso residents and travelers. The shutdown was lifted at 6:15 p.m., and El Paso International Airport confirmed that flight operations were resuming, though passengers were advised to expect residual delays.
According to KVIA, the FAA experienced a telecommunications issue at 1:36 p.m. that impacted facilities and Terminal Radar Approach Controls across the country. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy described the action as an “abundance of caution” while more than 3,500 aircraft were airborne. Pilots and controllers followed established procedures, reducing the number of planes in the sky to under 400 by 6 p.m.
The disruption led to nearly 5,000 flight cancellations nationwide, with FlightAware reporting 1,913 cancellations and 10,494 delays as of 6:04 p.m. The FAA expected the number of cancellations to rise into the night, and about 800 additional cancellations were projected for Saturday.
El Paso International Airport issued a statement after the lift, noting that flights were back in service but urging travelers to check directly with airlines for the latest information. The airport had recently completed a triennial emergency‑response exercise on Oct. 29, which helped coordinate the safe landing of aircraft during the outage.
Local officials responded quickly. Congresswoman Veronica Escobar called for transparency and urged airlines to assist, refund, or credit impacted passengers. Texas Governor Greg Abbott said the Texas Division of Emergency Management was working with federal partners and that Texans should monitor airline updates. The El Paso City‑County Office of Emergency Management elevated its status to Level 3 – Increased Readiness – to monitor the situation, while Fort Bliss confirmed compliance with the FAA order, emphasizing the safety of personnel and the surrounding community.
Sports events faced uncertainty. The University of Texas at El Paso football game scheduled for Saturday at 8 p.m. could be affected because the University of Wyoming football team was unable to leave for the Sun Bowl. In contrast, New Mexico State University successfully traveled for its game, and UTEP’s women’s basketball game against Alabama State on Saturday at 1 p.m. proceeded as planned.
Major airlines offered waivers to ease the impact. Delta announced a waiver allowing passengers to change flights without fee for Friday and Saturday. United issued a travel alert waiving change fees and fare differences for rebooked flights between Nov. 12 and Nov. 20, provided the new flight remains in the same cabin and route.
What’s next: Travelers are encouraged to monitor airline communications for any further adjustments. The FAA continues to investigate the telecommunications issue, and the Department of Homeland Security has stated there is no indication of a cyberattack. Local officials will keep the emergency operations center on standby as the region prepares for upcoming weekend sporting events.
