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.
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 (Federal Aviation Administration),” he said.
FRIDAY THE 13TH
The ground stop – eventually lifted after more than four hours – 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.
