Flight Delays and Cancellations Persist as System Recovers From Ground Stop

Air traffic operations over the United States continued to improve on Sunday after nearly all flights were grounded for more than 4 hours on Friday. Still, disruptions remained across the system with many flights canceled or delayed.

Nearly 90 percent of all flights left within 14 minutes of their scheduled departure time on Sunday morning, according to Cirium, an aviation analytics company. But some 5 percent of flights — more than 1,300 trips — had already been canceled, higher than a typical day, showing the continuing effects of the nationwide flight freeze.

Disruptions have occurred at major hubs — from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in Georgia to Dallas Fort Worth International Airport in Texas — and at airports in Phoenix and Philadelphia.

The disruptions postponed college sports games and stranded professional basketball teams. Passengers slept overnight in airports and competed to rebook their flights; some canceled their trips entirely.

The logjam is the latest example of the vulnerabilities in the American air traffic system, which is facing twin crises: a shortage of air traffic controllers and an outdated infrastructure.

It was an upgrade to the system that officials have identified as the root cause of the problems that led to the shutdown on Friday. As the contractor L3 Harris was upgrading copper wires to fiber-optic cables, a router overloaded the system with data requests, disrupting communications.