Flight delays continue at CLT Airport, nationwide after FAA system outage

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WBTV) - The Federal Aviation Administration announced its ground stop for all domestic flights has been lifted Wednesday morning after its flight personnel alert system was not processing updates after an outage.

In a tweet, the FAA said normal air traffic operations are resuming gradually across the U.S. following the overnight outage to the Notice to Air Missions system.

According to the FAA, it’s continuing to look into the cause of the initial problem.

Transportation secretary Pete Buttigieg said he has directed an after-action process to determine the root causes and recommend the next steps.

Charlotte Douglas International Airport’s flight tracker was showing departing flight delays Wednesday following the disruption.

According to FlightAware, there were approximately 406 delays at the airport as of 12:20 p.m. Wednesday, while 118 flights had been canceled. It was a scene being repeated at airports across the country.

Due to a majority of flights at CLT Airport being operated by American Airlines, WBTV reached out to the airline about impacts.

A spokesperson said:

“American has resumed operations now that the Federal Aviation Administration’s nationwide ground stop has ended. We continue to closely monitor the situation, which impacts all airlines, and are working to minimize further disruption to our customers and operation. To support our customers whose travel was affected by the FAA system issue, we’re providing additional flexibility to rebook their travel plans today and tomorrow without any additional fees. Customers can find the latest flight information by using the American Airlines app or visiting aa.com.”

An American Airlines flight attendant said that they were instructed to arrive on time Wednesday morning.

He explained flight attendants are only paid for time when the doors to the aircraft are closed for take-off, meaning thousands of flight attendants had been at CLT Airport unpaid for hours on Wednesday.

The nationwide delay followed an FAA advisory that said its Notice to Air Missions system had “failed.” That system alerts pilots and other flight personnel about hazards or any changes to airport facility services.

FAA officials said all flights in the sky were safe to land, as pilots check the NOTAM system before they fly.

Officials said that there is no evidence of a cyberattack at this point, but President Joe Biden has directed the Department of Transportation to conduct a full investigation into the cause of the outage.

Passengers WBTV spoke to at CLT Airport surprisingly took Wednesday’s disruptions with grace given it wasn’t at the airline’s expense.

They said they arrived early for their flights Wednesday morning and noticed the flights getting pushed back consecutively before being canceled.

The nationwide ground stoppage by the FAA was lifted around 9 a.m., but cancellations and delays were well into the hundreds by that time at Charlotte Douglas.

”People were scrambling, and a lot of people were just trying to figure out what they were going to do next. Some people got a car and decided to drive and we did consider that,” passenger Julie Melander said.

“It impacted me by delaying my flight. I was supposed to leave at 11 and then went to 11:40, and now it’s at 12:45. I’m pretty well prepared it’s going to be longer than that,” passenger Jeff Dougdale said.

Passengers said the airlines have been accommodating in trying to get them on new flights and provided some with flight credits.

Those coming to CLT Airport for a flight should check their flight status.

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