‘I may lose my mind’: Frustrated travelers stuck in US flight havoc
Why This Matters
Key context: <p>Confusion reigned at airports across the United States on Friday, as a rare grounding of all US flights stranded hundreds of thousands of frustrated travellers with no end to the delays in sight.</p> <p>In New York’s busy LaGuardia airport, Janice Llewellyn was on the verge of tears: the chaos could mean she will miss her daughter’s wedding in Toronto.</p> <p>The 61-year-old Llewellyn was desperate to find an alternative route, telling <em>AFP</em>: “I may lose my mind.”</p> <p>“My husband flew all the way from England to get to the wedding,” she said. “Oh gosh! I wish they had another flight, I wish I could get another flight, like, now.”</p> <figure class='media w-full sm:w-full media-- ' data-original-src='https://i.dawn.com/large/2026/11/14102656014cfad.webp'> <div class='media__item '><picture><img src='https://i.dawn.com/large/2026/11/14102656014cfad.webp' width='800' height='480' srcset='https://i.dawn.com/thumbnail/2026/11/14102656014cfad.webp 300w, https://i.dawn.com/medium/2026/11/14102656014cfad.webp 500w, https://i.dawn.com/large/2026/11/14102656014cfad.webp 800w' sizes='(min-width: 1024px) 890px, 100vw' alt='Planes wait at the terminal of LaGuardia Airport, New York on November 13, 2026. US aviation regulators issued an extremely rare ground stop of all flights across the country November 13 after a major communications outage which the Department of Homeland Security said did not appear to be the result of any “nefarious attack.” — AFP' /></picture></div> <figcaption class='media__caption '>Planes wait at the terminal of LaGuardia Airport, New York on November 13, 2026. US aviation regulators issued an extremely rare ground stop of all flights across the country November 13 after a major communications outage which the Department of Homeland Security said did not appear to be the result of any “nefarious attack.” — AFP</figcaption> </figure> <p>At the airport in Las Vegas, some fliers were told their journeys were delayed due to wind.</p> <p>One airline staffer said the ground stop would last eight hours. Another said 24 hours.</p> <p>Government officials have said the grounding was due to a major communications outage and not due to any “nefarious attack.”</p> <p>But that didn’t help travellers understand what comes next.</p> <figure class='media w-full sm:w-full media-- ' data-original-src='https://i.dawn.com/large/2026/11/1410273510807f3.webp'> <div class='media__item '><picture><img src='https://i.dawn.com/large/2026/11/1410273510807f3.webp' width='800' height='480' srcset='https://i.dawn.com/thumbnail/2026/11/1410273510807f3.webp 300w, https://i.dawn.com/medium/2026/11/1410273510807f3.webp 500w, https://i.dawn.com/large/2026/11/1410273510807f3.webp 800w' sizes='auto, (min-width: 1024px) 890px, 100vw' loading='lazy' alt='People wait to try and retrieve luggage during delays and cancellations at LaGuardia airport on November 13, 2026 in the Queens borough of New York City. The Federal Aviation Administration on Friday ordered a nationwide ground stop on all departing flights “due to extraordinary circumstances and for reasons of safety.” — AFP' /></picture></div> <figcaption class='media__caption '>People wait to try and retrieve luggage during delays and cancellations at LaGuardia airport on November 13, 2026 in the Queens borough of New York City. The Federal Aviation Administration on Friday ordered a nationwide ground stop on all departing flights “due to extraordinary circumstances and for reasons of safety.” — AFP</figcaption> </figure> <p>The shambolic lack of information led many passengers to form long lines at rental car counters in a mad dash for travel alternatives.</p> <p>Joseph Anderson said he was trying to get back to Oakland from Vegas and was considering driving — but said, “if the whole country is stopped, that means the highways are going to be jammed too.”</p> <p>And the 72-year-old retired Air Force veteran said his already-checked luggage was captive, meaning “we’re kind of stuck.”</p> <p>“I would hope the communication can be better from the FAA,” he said.</p> <figure class='media w-full sm:w-full media-- ' data-original-src='https://i.dawn.com/large/2026/11/141028102a4bd23.webp'> <div class='media__item '><picture><img src='https://i.dawn.com/large/2026/11/141028102a4bd23.webp' width='800' height='480' srcset='https://i.dawn.com/thumbnail/2026/11/141028102a4bd23.webp 300w, https://i.dawn.com/medium/2026/11/141028102a4bd23.webp 500w, https://i.dawn.com/large/2026/11/141028102a4bd23.webp 800w' sizes='auto, (min-width: 1024px) 890px, 100vw' loading='lazy' alt='People sit on the floor as they wait to try and retrieve luggage during delays and cancellations at LaGuardia airport on November 13, 2026 in the Queens borough of New York City. The Federal Aviation Administration on Friday ordered a nationwide ground stop on all departing flights “due to extraordinary circumstances and for reasons of safety.” — AFP' /></picture></div> <figcaption class='media__caption '>People sit on the floor as they wait to try and retrieve luggage during delays and cancellations at LaGuardia airport on November 13, 2026 in the Queens borough of New York City. The Federal Aviation Administration on Friday ordered a nationwide ground stop on all departing flights “due to extraordinary circumstances and for reasons of safety.” — AFP</figcaption> </figure> <h2><a id="friday-the-13th" href="#friday-the-13th" class="heading-permalink" aria-hidden="true" tabindex="-1" title="Permalink"></a>Friday the 13th</h2> <p>The ground stop comes less than two weeks before the Thanksgiving holiday, the busiest travel moment of the year in the United States.</p> <p>And it falls ahead of a particularly busy weekend for professional and college sports — teams and their fans are also stuck.</p> <p>Back in New York, Tiara Johnson had been heading to Orlando for a weekend concert, and any hope that she would make it was growing dim.</p> <p>“You think you’re gonna be there in three hours, but your whole evening is kind of done!” the 50-year-old told <em>AFP</em>.</p> <p>“But hey, they say it’s Friday the 13th!”</p> <p>Harried passengers stared at their phones, calm but annoyed, wandering the airport terminal without clear direction.</p> <p>Hagit Levy Shalev, 54, was zen.</p> <p>She booked a new flight for Saturday morning, meaning her work trip would last a little longer.</p> <p>“I’ll get there,” she laughed. “One more extra day away from the kids!”</p> This development from dawn.com highlights ongoing changes in the sector.
Confusion reigned at airports across the United States on Friday, as a rare grounding of all US flights stranded hundreds of thousands of frustrated travellers with no end to the delays in sight. In New York’s busy LaGuardia airport, Janice Llewellyn was on the verge of tears: the chaos could mean she will miss her daughter’s wedding in Toronto. The 61-year-old Llewellyn was desperate to find an alternative route, telling AFP: “I may lose my mind.” “My husband flew all the way from England to get to the wedding,” she said. “Oh gosh! I wish they had another flight, I wish I could get another flight, like, now.” Planes wait at the terminal of LaGuardia Airport, New York on November 13, 2026. US aviation regulators issued an extremely rare ground stop of all flights across the country November 13 after a major communications outage which the Department of Homeland Security said did not appear to be the result of any “nefarious attack.” — AFP At the airport in Las Vegas, some fliers were told their journeys were delayed due to wind. One airline staffer said the ground stop would last eight hours. Another said 24 hours. Government officials have said the grounding was due to a major communications outage and not due to any “nefarious attack.” But that didn’t help travellers understand what comes next. People wait to try and retrieve luggage during delays and cancellations at LaGuardia airport on November 13, 2026 in the Queens borough of New York City. The Federal Aviation Administration on Friday ordered a nationwide ground stop on all departing flights “due to extraordinary circumstances and for reasons of safety.” — AFP The shambolic lack of information led many passengers to form long lines at rental car counters in a mad dash for travel alternatives. Joseph Anderson said he was trying to get back to Oakland from Vegas and was considering driving — but said, “if the whole country is stopped, that means the highways are going to be jammed too.” And the 72-year-old retired Air Force veteran said his already-checked luggage was captive, meaning “we’re kind of stuck.” “I would hope the communication can be better from the FAA,” he said. People sit on the floor as they wait to try and retrieve luggage during delays and cancellations at LaGuardia airport on November 13, 2026 in the Queens borough of New York City. The Federal Aviation Administration on Friday ordered a nationwide ground stop on all departing flights “due to extraordinary circumstances and for reasons of safety.” — AFP Friday the 13th The ground stop comes less than two weeks before the Thanksgiving holiday, the busiest travel moment of the year in the United States. And it falls ahead of a particularly busy weekend for professional and college sports — teams and their fans are also stuck. Back in New York, Tiara Johnson had been heading to Orlando for a weekend concert, and any hope that she would make it was growing dim. “You think you’re gonna be there in three hours, but your whole evening is kind of done!” the 50-year-old told AFP. “But hey, they say it’s Friday the 13th!” Harried passengers stared at their phones, calm but annoyed, wandering the airport terminal without clear direction. Hagit Levy Shalev, 54, was zen. She booked a new flight for Saturday morning, meaning her work trip would last a little longer. “I’ll get there,” she laughed. “One more extra day away from the kids!”
Curation & Context
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