Nashville International Airport resumes departures after five-hour nationwide ground stop

Flights began leaving Nashville International Airport Friday night after the Federal Aviation Administration lifted a nationwide ground stop. The order, which halted operations for approximately five hours, caused widespread disruption for passengers traveling through the terminal.

The FAA issued the ground stop, and operations resumed around 7:15 p.m. However, the resumption of service did not immediately clear the backlog. Many flights scheduled to depart from Nashville remained delayed, while others were canceled entirely.

Passengers who had already boarded their aircraft received the news from their pilots. Aaron Donofrio and Lindsay Jacobs were among those caught in the halt. After the announcement, the couple spent several hours locating their luggage. Donofrio stated that by the time they found their bags, they had been waiting for three or four hours.

Other travelers sought alternative ways to continue their journeys. Many looked for hotel rooms, rental cars, or rideshare services. Rental car lines expanded as passengers considered driving to their final destinations. David Jordan, a traveler from Maine, said he learned about the stop while already en route to the airport.

Samantha Umland, visiting from Denver, described the scene inside the terminal as chaotic. She noted long lines and many people sitting and waiting for updates. Umland used the word madness to describe the atmosphere among the crowd.

Rojin Lari, a medical student, faced a specific time pressure. She has a flight to Chicago scheduled for Saturday, followed by a residency interview on Monday. Upon hearing about the ground stop, she went to the airport to secure a rental car. Lari expressed concern that even if flights resume, a guaranteed arrival time for Monday was not assured.

According to FAA records, a nationwide ground stop has occurred only two other times in the agency's history. The Friday event joined that short list of rare disruptions to air traffic across the United States.