Guide
There’s a ground stop at my airport. What now?
A ground stop means the FAA is holding flights headed to an airport at the airports they’re leaving from. If you’re flying into that airport, your flight probably isn’t going anywhere until it lifts. Here’s what it means, where to check it, and what to do while you wait.
Ground stop vs ground delay program
The FAA uses both to slow the number of flights arriving at an airport that can’t handle its normal traffic, most often because of thunderstorms, low clouds and fog, snow, strong wind, or runway and equipment problems.
- A ground stop holds flights bound for the affected airport on the ground at their departure airports. It’s usually short and set to be reviewed at a stated time, though it can be extended.
- A ground delay program is the slower, planned version: flights bound for the airport are given later departure times, so the delay is spread across many flights instead of stopping them all.
Either one affects you if you’re flying into the affected airport, even if the weather where you are is perfect. That’s why the arrival airport matters as much as the departure airport.
Where to check
- The FAA’s status page. The FAA publishes active ground stops and delay programs, airport by airport, on its National Airspace System status page. It usually shows the reason and, for a ground stop, when it is set to be reviewed or end.
- Your airline. The FAA program is the cause; your airline sets your flight’s new time, and its app or website is the final word on whether your flight is delayed or cancelled.
- The weather at both airports. If the cause is weather, the forecast for the next few hours tells you whether it’s likely to clear. The free flight-day airport weather check shows both airports’ current conditions, next 12 hours and NWS alerts.
What to do while you wait
- Don’t leave for the airport later on a guess. A ground stop can be lifted early, and if your flight is called back you’ll need to be there.
- Watch for a cancellation, then act fast. If your flight is cancelled, rebooking through the airline’s app is often quicker than waiting in line at the counter.
- Know your refund rights. In the US, if an airline cancels your flight or significantly changes it and you don’t accept the alternative it offers, you’re entitled to a refund, weather or not. The US Department of Transportation explains the rules on its aviation consumer protection pages. Delays caused by weather usually don’t come with meals or hotels, because they aren’t within the airline’s control.
- Check your connection. If you’re connecting through the affected airport, your second flight may be delayed too, or it may leave on time while you’re still held. Ask the airline before you assume either.
How to see it coming
You usually can’t know about a ground stop days ahead. They’re set on the day, often within hours. What you can see in advance is the weather that tends to cause them: a line of thunderstorms forecast over your arrival airport in the afternoon, or snow overnight.
Viltri puts both on your trip. Each flight leg shows the METAR weather report at both airports and any FAA ground stop or ground delay program in force there, from five days before departure, and for flights leaving today or tomorrow it can notify you when an FAA delay program affects either airport. Those are Viltri Premium features.
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