Phoenix Sky Harbor delays linger after nationwide FAA ground stop

PHOENIX - The impact of a nationwide ground stoppage is still being felt at airports across the country on Saturday, including Sky Harbor International Airport, where many flights are canceled and delayed. The ground stop was officially lifted around 6:15 p.m. Friday night, but federal officials warn the issues could linger through the weekend.

Ripple Effects:

The rare nationwide FAA ground stop on Nov. 13 brought flights across the country to a halt after a telecommunications issue disrupted multiple air traffic control centers. The stop lasted more than four hours. 

While flights are moving again, the backlog is far from cleared. 

By the numbers:

FlightAware reports more than 5,000 flights delayed across the country, with hundreds more canceled.

Local perspective:

At Sky Harbor, some travelers say they were forced off their flights Friday, leaving them stranded in Phoenix overnight. For others, the wait is still dragging on. Some arrived at the airport early Saturday morning, expecting to be on their way, but hours later, they were still waiting to take off.

What they're saying:

"We were on the plane almost ready to take off, and then they made us deplane," said Mary Dodsworth, who is traveling to Seattle. "Literally sitting in our seats. And then we were deplaned, and we tried to get rebooked and we did. We were all excited we got something and then this morning we woke up and it was canceled. So then we spent, I don’t know, four hours trying to reschedule, rebook with every airline. So now we’re fingers crossed…it's been delayed about an hour, so we're hoping that its actually going to go. But they’re all behind everyone's doing their best."

What's next:

With crews and planes still out of position, airlines are working to get back on track. FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said in a press conference Saturday that he expects operations to begin normalizing by the end of Sunday, Nov. 15.