Ground stop
{{Short description|Air traffic control measure that slows the flow of an aircraft inbound to an airport}}
{{About|a term for a single airport|the FAA authority to ground all planes|SCATANA}}
{{more citations needed|date=September 2014}}
A ground stop is an air traffic control procedure that requires all aircraft that fit certain criteria to remain on the ground. This could be airport-specific or perhaps equipment- or airspace-specific, depending on the exact event that caused the ground stop to occur. Downstream effects can occur from a ground stop. It causes flights to be delayed or canceled and planes and flight crew to be unable to reach the location of their next scheduled flight.
Description
A ground stop is an air traffic control measure that slows or halts the flow of aircraft{{cite web |title=What's a Ground Stop? |url=http://businesstravel.about.com/od/faqs/g/FAQ-Ground-Stop.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140412170719/http://businesstravel.about.com/od/faqs/g/FAQ-Ground-Stop.htm |archive-date=2014-04-12 |website=businesstravel.about.com}} that meet certain criteria, requiring all aircraft of a certain criteria to remain on the ground. Often, the criteria are aircraft inbound to a given airport, where a ground stop is the halting of departing aircraft destined for one particular airport or for a specific geographic area.{{clarify|reason=inbound or departing or both?|date=February 2025}} The criteria could be airport-specific or perhaps equipment- or airspace-specific, depending on the exact event that caused the ground stop to occur. {{Cite web |date=March 21, 2024 |title=Ground Stop |url=https://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/publications/atpubs/pcg_html/glossary-g.html#$GS |access-date=July 20, 2024 |website=Pilot/Controller Glossary}} A ground stop does not affect flights en route.{{Cite web |title=Section 13. Ground Stop(s) |url=https://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/publications/atpubs/foa_html/chap18_section_13.html |website=Traffic Management National, Center, and Terminal |publisher=Federal Aviation Administration}}
Use
For example, if a ground stop is called for Newark Liberty International Airport, aircraft departing for Newark from other airports will not be given departure clearance until such time that the ground stop in Newark is lifted. This allows, in this example, for Newark to deal with the task at hand before preparing for arriving aircraft once the ground stop is lifted.
Ground stops may occur during an operational event (e.g., a computer outage), a thunderstorm or other weather concerns (e.g., due to the danger of wind shear or hail), or another hazard.
A ground stop can have cascading effects on flight schedules. Flights that have yet to depart may be delayed or canceled by the airline. Additionally, pilots and flight crew may be unable to reach their assigned aircraft on time, leading to further disruptions. As a result, subsequent flights may also be delayed or canceled due to crew members being unavailable. {{Cite news |last1=Chokshi |first1=Niraj |last2=Taylor |first2=Derrick Bryson |last3=Kilgannon |first3=Corey |date=2024-07-19 |title=Airlines Restart Flights but Disruptions are Expected to Persist |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/19/travel/tech-outage-us-airlines-ground-stops.html |access-date=2024-07-20 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}
= Notable examples =
- On September 11, 2001, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a ground stop for the entire United States as a precaution against possible additional terrorist attacks by airplane. In addition to grounding international flights which had not yet departed, flights already in the air were either returned to their origin departure airport, or diverted to Canadian airports in Operation Yellow Ribbon. The ground stop was lifted on September 13, when departures from airports within the US also resumed. This was the first ever closure of this magnitude.{{Cite web |last=ddancis |date=2021-09-10 |title=Shutting Down the Sky: The Federal Aviation Administration on 9/11 |url=https://text-message.blogs.archives.gov/2021/09/10/shutting-down-the-sky-the-federal-aviation-administration-on-9-11/ |access-date=2024-07-20 |website=The Text Message |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |date=2012-04-18 |title=NAV CANADA - NAV CANADA and the 9/11 Crisis |url=http://www.navcanada.ca/NavCanada.asp?Language=EN&Content=contentdefinitionfiles%5Cnewsroom%5Cbackgrounders%5C911crisis.xml |access-date=2024-07-20 |archive-date=2012-04-18 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120418034929/http://www.navcanada.ca/NavCanada.asp?Language=EN&Content=contentdefinitionfiles%5Cnewsroom%5Cbackgrounders%5C911crisis.xml |url-status=bot: unknown }}
- In January 2014, Nav Canada issued a ground stop for Toronto Pearson due to cold weather. The airport authority said the extreme cold was causing "equipment freezing and safety issues for employees."[http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/pearson-airport-delays-what-you-need-to-know-1.2486701 Pearson airport delays: What you need to know], CBC.ca, January 7, 2014; retrieved January 7, 2014. {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140107212241/http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/pearson-airport-delays-what-you-need-to-know-1.2486701|date=January 7, 2014}}
- On January 25, 2019, the FAA declared a ground stop at New York's LaGuardia Airport over a staffing shortage caused by the government shutdown.{{Cite web|url=https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/LaGuardia-Airport-Ground-Stop-Staffing-Shortage-Shutdown-504861791.html|title = Air Traffic Sick Calls Force Brief Ground Stop at LaGuardia, Cause Total Chaos Along East Coast| date=25 January 2019 }}
- On January 10, 2022, the FAA issued a ground stop for the West Coast of the US and Hawaii. It is speculated it was related to a North Korean missile test, but no official reason was given by the FAA.{{Cite web|url=https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/43840/faas-statement-on-mysterious-air-traffic-halt-leaves-more-questions-than-answers|title = FAA's Statement on Mysterious Air Traffic Halt Leaves More Questions Than Answers| date=11 January 2022 }}
- On July 25, 2022, a ground stop was declared at Dallas Love Field after a woman fired a gun into the air near the ticket counters, prompting an evacuation of the terminal.{{cite news |author= |date=July 25, 2022 |url=https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/shots-reportedly-fired-at-dallas-love-field-airport-dallas-police-say/287-a0fa0c01-dca6-40d9-bb00-bf244b4b13ed |title=Law enforcement identifies suspect who fired shots at Dallas Love Field, forcing airport evacuations |work=WFAA |location=Dallas, Texas |access-date=July 26, 2022}}{{cite news |last1=Prosser |first1=Maggie |last2=Landers |first2=Jamie |last3=Williams |first3=Michael |last4=Arnold |first4=Arnold |last5=Choi |first5=Hojun |date=July 25, 2022 |title=Dallas police shoot armed woman after several shots fired inside Love Field airport |work=The Dallas Morning News |location=Dallas, Texas |url=https://www.dallasnews.com/news/crime/2022/07/25/dallas-police-investigating-reports-of-shooting-at-love-field/ |url-access=limited |access-date=July 26, 2022}}{{cite news |last=Prosser |first=Maggie |date=July 25, 2022 |title=What we know about the shooting at Love Field airport |work=The Dallas Morning News |location=Dallas, Texas |url=https://www.dallasnews.com/news/crime/2022/07/25/what-we-know-about-the-shooting-at-love-field-airport/ |url-access=limited |access-date=July 26, 2022}}
- On January 11, 2023, a nationwide ground stop was declared across the US following the failure of the FAA's NOTAM system.{{Cite web |title=ATCSCC Advisory |url=https://www.fly.faa.gov/adv/adv_otherdis.jsp?advn=28&adv_date=01112023&facId=DCC&title=NATIONWIDE+GROUND+STOP&titleDate=01/11/23 |access-date=2023-01-11 |website=www.fly.faa.gov}}{{Cite web |title=FAA system outage leads to flight delays across U.S. |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2023/01/11/us-faa-says-flight-personnel-alert-system-not-processing-updates-after-outage.html |access-date=2023-01-11 |website=CNBC |date=11 January 2023 |language=en}}
- On February 4, 2023, an immediate ground stop was issued by the FAA on the east coast of the Carolinas,{{Cite web |title=FAA News release on twitter |url=https://twitter.com/FAANews/status/1621944424916721666 |access-date=2023-02-04 |website=Twitter |language=en}} impacting Myrtle Beach International Airport, Charleston International Airport and Wilmington International Airport, due to the 2023 Chinese balloon incident.{{Cite news |last1=Bushard |first1=Brian |title=FAA Grounds Planes In Carolinas As Chinese Spy Balloon Suspected Nearby |work=Forbes |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/brianbushard/2023/02/04/faa-grounds-planes-in-carolinas-as-chinese-spy-balloon-suspected-nearby/?sh=52afb1ff30a1 |access-date=4 February 2023}}{{Cite news |last1=Accettulla |first1=Kevin |title=Ground stop issued at Myrtle Beach International Airport due to suspected Chinese spy balloon |website=WBTW |publisher= |url=https://www.wbtw.com/news/grand-strand/myrtle-beach/ground-stop-issued-at-myrtle-beach-international-airport-due-to-suspected-chinese-spy-balloon/ |access-date=4 February 2023 |archive-date=4 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230204202132/https://www.wbtw.com/news/grand-strand/myrtle-beach/ground-stop-issued-at-myrtle-beach-international-airport-due-to-suspected-chinese-spy-balloon/ |url-status=dead }}{{Cite news |title=Ground stop issued along Carolina coast after unconfirmed sightings of Chinese spy balloon |website=WCNC |publisher= |url=https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/nation-world/unconfirmed-sightings-of-chinese-spy-balloon-over-the-carolinas/275-46e49300-9a7c-4f0d-91ed-21df19ce7a00 |access-date=4 February 2023}}
- On June 7, 2023, the FAA issued a ground stop at LaGuardia International Airport in New York City due to extreme smoke haze in the area from Canadian wildfires.{{cite news |title=FAA issues ground stop at LaGuardia airport due to smoke |author=|url=https://www.cnn.com/2023/06/07/business/faa-issues-ground-stop-laguardia-due-to-smoke/index.html |access-date=July 12, 2023 |publisher=CNN |date=June 7, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230607174826/https://edition.cnn.com/2023/06/07/business/faa-issues-ground-stop-laguardia-due-to-smoke/index.html |archive-date=June 7, 2023|url-status=live}}
- On July 19, 2024, Delta, American and United Airlines issued a "global ground stop" amid global computer systems outages.{{Cite web |date=2024-07-20 |title=Live updates: Major global IT outage grounds flights, hits banks and businesses around the world |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/live-blog/live-updates-it-outage-flights-banks-businesses-microsoft-crowdstrike-rcna162669 |access-date=2024-07-20 |website=NBC News |language=en}}
See also
{{wiktionary}}