The temporary suspension of flights in the US led to long queues at major transport hubs, a shortage of hotel rooms and a sharp rise in rental car prices. In Europe, the consequences were more limited because of the time difference between the two continents and restrictions on nighttime flights.
All flights to the United States were suspended overnight. Later, „Eurocontrol“ removed the notice banning departures and urged airlines to inform passengers about delays affecting planes that had been unable to take off immediately.
„The majority of flights to the US were able to operate as scheduled,“ the German aviation group „Lufthansa“ said. In Spain, „Iberia“ warned that the closure of the airspace could affect its schedule for the day, but initially there was no specific information about canceled or delayed flights from Madrid.
Delays and Canceled Flights in Europe
Several connecting flights were delayed at Rome's „Fiumicino“ Airport. Flights to Chicago were delayed by more than two hours, those to Atlanta by an hour and a half, while the flight to Detroit was delayed by 30 minutes. Delays of three to four hours were expected in the afternoon for flights from Los Angeles, Houston and Atlanta.
In London, a „British Airways“ flight from „Heathrow“ to New York was canceled, also affecting a „Virgin Atlantic“ flight on the same route. A flight to Dallas was also canceled, as were several arriving flights from the US. In Switzerland, one „Swiss“ flight from Miami to Zurich was canceled.
Passengers Search for Hotels and Rental Cars
Chaos continued in the US even after the ban was lifted, US media reported. Travelers were trying to retrieve their luggage and continue to their final destinations by road.
Demand for hotel rooms increased in many places. A passenger at „Newark“ Airport said she had made a reservation, but it had been canceled because no rooms were available. In Chicago and at other airports, interest in rental cars surged, also driving up the share price of „Hertz“.
Outside the US, CNN reported that numerous passengers were stranded in Mexico City.
Duffy Blamed Outdated Technology
US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy rejected claims that the government was responsible for the problem. „The cause is outdated technology, not the new systems,“ he said.
The US air traffic control network has evolved over decades and includes a combination of old and new technologies. At the beginning of the month, Duffy announced plans to gradually phase out computer systems dating back to the 1980s by the end of 2028.
The Federal Aviation Administration has halted all departures nationwide only twice since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. The previous instance was in January 2023, when a failure in the system for transmitting messages to pilots led to a shutdown that was lifted after several hours.