Thousands of passengers were stranded, airports were at a standstill and tarmacs were full nationwide as the FAA ordered all United States airports to ground flights on Friday.
A source told CNN that the FAA “doesn’t know what is going on” and called the situation a crisis.
Uncertainty was growing as the American public awaited information amid reports that a new AI system could have been behind the “communications issue” tied to the grounding. The FAA has not confirmed what prompted the technology issue.
The Trump administration had not yet released a statement in response more than two hours after the ground stop, CNN reported. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy was expected to share an update on Friday night.
Lines were forming at service desks and baggage claim areas at airports across the United States.
At Miami International Airport, CNN’s Carolina Peguero spoke to a passenger named Jorge, who was trying to get back home to New Mexico. He found out about the grounding while he was in an Uber on the way to the airport.
“I just want to get home to my kid. It hits different when you want to get home to your kids,” he said.