TravelSaturday, November 14
A nationwide ground stop canceled more than 450 flights at Denver International Airport on Friday
The AM Denver team
If you were flying through Denver International Airport on Friday, you hit the first nationwide FAA ground stop since January 2023. Departures sat still for a six-hour gap, roughly 1:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. The FAA cited communications problems at regional air traffic control centers, and Homeland Security Secretary Markway Mullin said the stop was related to a telecommunications outage.
6 hoursgap between takeoffs at DIA on Friday, roughly 1:30 to 7:30 p.m.
The airport saw a six-hour gap between flights taking off while the nationwide ground stop was in place.
Source: Denver7
Some travelers made it work. A couple heading to Las Vegas to get married caught a later Friday flight after joking they might drive. Piercen Sturdavant, who arrived from Tucson early Friday, called it an "unprecedented time" to be traveling.
DIA's Friday night count showed hundreds of canceled flights
- 470
- flights canceled at DIA as of 9:40 p.m. Friday
- 618
- flights delayed at that time
- 248
- of the canceled flights started at DIA
- 105
- cancellations already listed for Saturday at 9:44 p.m.
Source: KDVR
- Centers affected: 22 regional air traffic control centers
- Earlier nationwide ground stops: January 2023, Sept. 11, 2001
- Ground stop lifted: Friday night
Flying Saturday? We suggest checking with your airline before you head to DIA.
Sources: Denver7, KDVR, Colorado Public Radio, The Gazette