A nationwide Federal Aviation Administration ground stop ordered Friday for “extraordinary circumstances” halted all departures from Salt Lake City International Airport, leaving thousands of passengers in limbo and canceling nearly 140 Utah flights, according to airport officials.
The FAA attributed the outage to faulty radar and communications equipment. Administrator Bryan Bedford told a White House briefing that the issue was due to outdated technology and that there was “zero evidence of anything nefarious.” He added that air travel was expected to normalize by the end of Sunday.
Salt Lake City Airport lifted the ground stop at 6:28 p.m. Friday, and the first flight took off at 6:59 p.m., Fox 13 reported. By midnight Saturday, about 216 flights had departed, and 65 flights left the airport that night, according to the same outlet. FlightAware recorded 25 delays and 28 cancellations on Saturday morning, while the airport listed 24 cancellations and 67 delays as of 5 p.m. Saturday.
Passengers described the chaos. Emree and Brezlynn Thomas, traveling from Idaho to Disneyland, drove three and a half hours to Salt Lake City after their original flight was canceled, only to find planes boarding without taking off. “It was a little scary,” Emree said, noting the lack of clear communication. Gordon and Maris Guymon spent a roughly 20‑hour travel day, sleeping on the tarmac in Denver after a line for new tickets closed unexpectedly.
South Jordan resident Michelle Peterson finally boarded a flight to New York at 8:14 p.m. Saturday, more than six hours after her scheduled 2:10 p.m. departure, after waiting through the ground‑stop shutdown. She said the airport staff kept shops open and provided pillows and blankets for those who had to stay overnight.
Airport Director Nancy Volmer said the facility activated its emergency plan immediately, a protocol usually reserved for inclement weather. “I’m very proud of the work that our team did,” Volmer told KSL. She noted that meals, accommodations, and extended shop hours were arranged for stranded travelers, and that TSA lines were running smoothly throughout Saturday.
Volmer advised anyone with a flight scheduled for Friday evening or Saturday to check directly with their airline. “When there is a nationwide incident like this, there is a domino effect,” she said, emphasizing the need for patience as airlines work to re‑establish schedules.
Provo Airport reported eight departures affected, with 40 % of its passengers having already left or made alternate plans, per Fox 13. Hillcrest High School Aviation Club students who were plane‑spotting at the airport observed six planes waiting on the runway before receiving the shutdown notice.
Airport officials expect full recovery of flight operations by Sunday evening, and passengers are urged to monitor airline apps or the airport’s website for the latest status.
Sources: fox13now.com, fox13now.com, ksl.com, sltrib.com
