IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) — A rare nationwide ground stop issued by the Federal Aviation Administration halted air travel across the country Friday afternoon, stranding thousands of passengers nationwide, including at the Idaho Falls Regional Airport.
The FAA ordered all U.S. flights grounded until further notice shortly before 2 p.m. MST, citing “extraordinary circumstances and for reasons of safety,” according to CNN. The order marks only the third time the agency has implemented a nationwide ground stop since Sept. 11, 2001.
Local Transportation Security Administration officials said the FAA is expected to provide an update tonight, Nov. 13, at 10 p.m.
Locally, multiple flights have been grounded or delayed. At this time, the exact number is unclear.
Throughout the afternoon, travelers at the Idaho Falls terminal scrambled to adjust their plans as departures were delayed or canceled. Among those affected was the Idaho State University men’s basketball team, which was scheduled to fly to Washington for a Saturday matchup against Seattle University.
“We were on a flight heading to Seattle. We have a game tomorrow,” said C.J. Edwards, ISU assistant men’s basketball coach. “We were informed that there’s no communication in, so we got deplaned. Now we’re trying to figure out what to do next.”
Following the interview, the team boarded a charter bus to make the roughly 12-hour drive to Seattle in time for the game.
Other stranded passengers opted to wait out the disruption in eastern Idaho. Chuck Burris, a project manager for Fluor Corporation, had been working in the area all week and was trying to get home to Denver.
“It’s really put a kibosh on my weekend,” Burris said. “I wanted to get home to loved ones and spend some time with my dogs before I had to come back next week. So I’m here in Idaho Falls for the weekend, first time ever. I guess I’ll enjoy it a little bit longer.”
In a statement posted to Facebook, Idaho Falls Regional Airport officials advised anyone scheduled to fly out of the airport to check directly with their airline for the latest flight status and potential travel impacts.
