Delta issues travel waiver amid FAA nationwide ground stop

The Brief Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines confirmed Friday afternoon that none of its flights are departing while an FAA-mandated nationwide ground stop remains in effect. Flights already in the air are continuing to their destinations, and the airline has issued a travel waiver allowing passengers with flexible plans to rebook at no extra cost. The ground stop, triggered by a nationwide air traffic control communication issue, has already led to 759 delays and 258 cancellations at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. ATLANTA - Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines has halted all departing flights and issued a flexible travel waiver for passengers Friday afternoon as a nationwide Federal Aviation Administration ground stop disrupts air travel across the country. What we know: In a statement issued Friday, Delta said its teams are focused on assisting customers while the FAA-mandated air traffic control ground stop remains active across all U.S. airports. According to the airline, no Delta flights are taking off while the order is in place, though flights that were already en route are being allowed to continue to their destinations. "Safety remains our priority which includes flights already enroute and those we intend to dispatch tonight. Customers should monitor their flight status on the Delta app or delta.com for the latest information," Delta said in its statement. To help ease disruptions at its Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport hub and across its network, Delta has put a travel waiver in place allowing customers with flexible travel plans to change their flights at no extra cost. "Our goal is to safely resume departures when possible. We thank our customers for their understanding and our people for managing through the issue," the airline added. United Airlines also issued a travel waiver for those impacted by Friday's ground stop. The nationwide ground stop was ordered earlier Friday afternoon after a temporary communication issue impacted all Air Route Traffic Control Centers across the U.S., according to U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy. The FAA said flights were halted "out of an abundance of caution" while technicians investigate the issue. At Hartsfield-Jackson, Delta's primary hub and the world's busiest airport, live data from FlightAware showed 759 total delays and 258 cancellations within, into or out of the United States as of Friday afternoon, alongside an FAA departure delay program averaging 90 minutes. What we don't know: Delta and federal aviation officials have not provided an estimated timeline for when the nationwide ground stop will be lifted or when departing flights will safely resume. Officials also have not said what caused the air traffic control communication issue, what specific dates or fare classes are covered under Delta's travel waiver terms or how many additional evening flights will be delayed or canceled before normal operations return. The Source: The information in this story was gathered from a statement issued by Delta Air Lines, advisories and statements from the Federal Aviation Administration and the U.S. Department of Transportation and flight-tracking data from FlightAware. Delta News Travel News Consumer Travel News