For the second time in history, the Federal Aviation Administration issued a nationwide ground stop on Friday, halting all flight activity.
For the second time in history, the Federal Aviation Administration issued a nationwide ground stop on Friday, halting all flight activity.
The first nationwide ground stop was issued after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Thankfully, the Department of Homeland Security emphasized that Friday's flight freeze was not caused by "nefarious" activity.
"There is no reason for the public to be afraid or scared for your loved ones,"
The FAA lifted the nationwide ground stop Friday evening, but the ripple effect of the nationwide flight freeze remains across multiple industries.
The decision to ground all flights for several hours forced thousands of flight cancellations. The nationwide ground stop also impacted the sports world.
Amid the chaos of the ground stop, several teams made impromptu changes to their travel plans.
Some NBA and college football teams adjusted game start times, rescheduled flights and chartered buses after the unexpected ground stop.
In college football, the SEC pushed back the Mississippi State game to allow Auburn more time to travel by charter bus.
Additionally, Baylor, Washington, Kansas State, Minnesota and No. 19 Ole Miss also changed their travel plans after the ground stop.
Airlines are also playing catch-up after the nationwide ground stop.
"With the FAA's five-hour nationwide ground stop lifted, American Airlines is focused on operating as many remaining flights as possible this evening while positioning the airline for the strongest possible recovery tomorrow and in the days ahead," the airline said in a statement.
Southwest Airlines announced Friday night that it was resuming a limited number of flights for the remainder of the evening.
"After consulting with the FAA and to ensure the highest levels of safety, Southwest Airlines is resuming a limited number of flights this evening," the airline said in a statement.
"These actions will help position our operation for Saturday morning. With schedules adjusted based on the location and availability of our Crews and our aircraft," the statement continued.
Other carriers have also resumed domestic and international flights.
