SALT LAKE CITY, Utah — Airline passengers were still dealing with the fallout Saturday after a nationwide ground stop Friday disrupted travel plans and left some travelers stranded for hours.
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The Federal Aviation Administration attributed the disruption to an equipment outage that affected communications with aircraft. Flights were grounded for more than four hours, with cancellations and delays spilling into Saturday.
For Emree and Brezlynn Thomas, the disruption quickly turned a trip to Disneyland into an uncertain travel ordeal.
WATCH | Passengers still recovering on Saturday after nationwide ground stop
The two were traveling from Idaho when their original flight was canceled. They then drove about three and a half hours to Salt Lake City in hopes of catching another flight.
They said they knew something was unusual when passengers were boarding planes, but those planes weren't leaving.
“Most of the time, you sit on a plane forever before you take off. I just thought it would have been something like that,” Brezlynn said. “There were people that boarded before us, and their plane was still there too, and I was like, that's a little weird. Usually, they're gone by now," Emree added.
By Saturday, they were still trying to reach their destination.
“I was like, dang, because I'm still in school right now, so like if we can't get this weekend out, then I have to wait,” Emree said, “I'm a little not optimistic right now.”
Other travelers were finally reaching home after lengthy journeys.
Gordon and Maris Guymon returned to Salt Lake City after what became a roughly 20-hour travel day.
After reaching Denver, they said they waited in line for about an hour trying to get new tickets. Then, the line they were standing in closed, forcing passengers to scramble to another one.
The couple ultimately became stranded in Denver and spent the night at the airport.
“Found a couple seats that didn't have an armrest between them, and curl up and put coats over our heads and earplugs in our ears and see what we could do to get some sleep,” Gordon said. “I think we got about three hours of sleep in Denver.”
Even as passengers continued their journeys Saturday, some said the experience left them uneasy.
“I don't want the whole thing to happen again, and also, like, we don't really know what was going on,” Emree said. “There's just a bunch of miscommunication, and I just think it's a little scary.”
FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said air travel was expected to normalize by the end of Sunday.
Travelers should continue checking their airline's app or Salt Lake City International Airport's website for the latest information regarding their flight status.