What Is a Ground Stop? (And What It Means for Your Flight)
What is a ground stop? An FAA order that holds aircraft on the ground before departure to a specific airport. Airborne arrivals are unaffected.
The definition, in one paragraph
A ground stop is a traffic management initiative (TMI) issued by the FAA's Air Traffic Control System Command Center. It tells carriers and pilots that departures bound for a particular airport must remain on the ground until a stated time. The order is measured in minutes, not days, and it is re-evaluated as conditions change.
Two details matter more than anything else in that definition. First, a ground stop is destination-based: it holds flights *going to* the affected airport, not flights leaving it. Second, it is not a closure. The airport is still open, runways are still usable, and aircraft already airborne are normally still cleared to land.
Who issues it and why
The order comes from the ATCSCC, which balances demand against capacity across the national airspace. Local towers and terminal approach controls execute it. Airlines then decide which specific flights to hold, which to cancel, and which to reroute — that is why two passengers on the same route can get different outcomes.
The FAA publishes active orders through the National Airspace System Status feed, which is the same source this site polls once a minute. Each entry names the airport, the reason, the start time and, when available, an expected end time.
Ground stop vs ground delay program
These two orders are constantly confused, including by newsrooms. The difference is simple: a ground stop stops departures entirely; a ground delay program (GDP) assigns each flight a later departure slot.
| Aspect | Ground stop | Ground delay program |
|---|---|---|
| Departures to the airport | Held entirely | Metered with assigned slots |
| Typical duration | 15 minutes to a few hours | Two to eight hours |
| Delay assigned | Usually not at issue time | Average and maximum published |
| Arrivals already airborne | Generally allowed to land | Generally allowed to land |
| Where you feel it | At the gate or on the apron | In your revised departure time |
What to do if your airport is under one
- Check whether your flight has actually departed. If it is airborne, the stop no longer affects it.
- Do not rush to the airport. A stop usually delays boarding rather than cancelling the flight. Check the airline app before you leave.
- Look at the start time, not just the headline. A stop issued 40 minutes ago that is scheduled to end in 20 minutes is a very different problem from an open-ended one.
- Ask about the recovery queue. Once the stop lifts, departures are sequenced by original schedule and slot. Expect a second wave of delays.
- Keep receipts. If the delay becomes a cancellation, your refund and expense rights depend on documentation.
Sources
FAQ
Does a ground stop cancel my flight?
No. It delays departures. Airlines may cancel flights to protect the rest of their schedule, but the order itself only holds aircraft on the ground.
Can I still get on a plane during a ground stop?
You can board, and the aircraft may push back, but it will not take off for the affected destination until the stop is lifted.
How long does a ground stop last?
Most last 15–90 minutes and are extended or lifted in short increments. Nationwide stops, which are rare, have run several hours.
Is a ground stop the same as a ground hold?
In practice yes. 'Ground hold' is informal; the FAA's term is ground stop, and it appears that way in NAS status advisories.
Does a ground stop affect all airlines equally?
The order applies to all operators, but airlines choose which flights to hold, delay or cancel, so the passenger impact differs by carrier.