Colorado State University Rams among many stranded by nationwide ground stop
A nationwide ground stop has disrupted travel at airports across the country, leaving many travelers stranded and waiting to hear what comes next.
"The @FAAnews issued a nationwide ground stop for all U.S. airports following a communication issue impacting all Air Route Traffic Control Centers," Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said in a social media post. "FAA technicians are investigating the issue. We will provide immediate updates as we have them."
Denver International Airport announced the ground stop around 2:55 p.m. for all departing flights. Flights already airborne were still able to arrive at the airport, but the airport encouraged passengers to check with their airlines directly for updates.
In Northern Colorado, the Colorado State University Rams were getting ready to take flight at the Northern Colorado Regional Airport near Loveland when the ground stop was issued. The football team confirmed that they didn't make it out in time and were figuring out their next steps. The Rams said the delay could affect their upcoming game against Washington State.
CBS Colorado's own Brian Maass had to change plans when the plane he had boarded in Denver could no longer take off. About an hour after the plane began taxiing to the runway, it returned to the terminal, and all of the passengers disembarked.
"Because of this, you've got a lot of planes with nowhere to go," said Maass. "There's a bunch of planes sitting out there on the runway kind of waiting for a parking space, waiting for a gate. I think gates are at a premium now at Denver International Airport. And from what I'm hearing, it's the same situation at other airports around the country."
It's unclear how many of the flights will be rescheduled once the disruption is resolved.
Around 4:40 p.m., Denver airport officials provided an update, letting passengers know customer service agents are on the concourses and in the terminal booths to assist them. However, they reiterated that passengers should contact the airlines directly for specific flight information as they make decisions about whether to cancel flights.
A United Airlines staff member said the airline's next update will be at approximately 5:30 p.m.
The sudden rush of people looking to make alternate travel plans has also caused complications for Amtrak's website.
In a post on X, the company said, "We apologize for the error messages on both our website and app, as well as the difficulty reaching a representative. We're currently experiencing higher-than-normal call volumes due to ongoing airline issues. Furthermore, we recommend trying again later. Thank you."