FAA issues ground stop at Austin airport over staffing issues; 160 flights delayed
The Federal Aviation Administration issued a ground stop at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport on Wednesday, delaying more than 100 flights amid ongoing staffing shortages — part of a broader national trend straining the air traffic control system.
The disruption comes as Newark Liberty International Airport, one of the nation's busiest hubs, enters its fourth week of significant delays and, more recently, flight caps due to a combination of staffing shortages, recent technological failures, and ongoing runway construction.
The FAA, currently facing a shortfall of thousands of air traffic controllers, recently terminated hundreds of probationary employees and is now scrambling to recruit replacements under the guidance of the Department of Government Efficiency.
Currently, more than 160 flights are delayed or canceled in Austin.
More: Free bags no more: Here's the last day to book tickets with free checked bags at Southwest
According to the FAA website, the ground stop, which temporarily halts incoming flights, is scheduled to end by 9 p.m. Currently, the average delay is about 49 minutes.
See up-to-date information on Texas' 10 busiest airports.
Austin
Dallas-Fort Worth
El Paso
Houston (IAH)
Houston (HOU)
Love Field
Lubbock
McAllen
Midland-Odessa
San Antonio
To view flights at smaller airports in Texas, visit FlightAware and search by flight number or location.
The Department of Transportation created a dashboard for travelers to easily access information about services that U.S. airlines provide in the case of cancellations or delays.
Click here to access the DOT Cancellation and Delay Dashboard.
A new rule from the DOT that went into effect at the end of October requires airlines to refund passengers if their flight is significantly delayed for reasons within the carrier's control and also makes airlines more responsible for following their own customer commitments in those cases.
(This story was updated to add a photo gallery.)
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: FAA issues ground stop in Austin over staff shortages. See delays
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Fox News
8 hours ago
- Fox News
Newark Airport passengers face lengthy delays due to staffing shortages
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on Friday afternoon announced delays at Newark International Airport (EWR) after its Traffic Management Program went into effect due to staffing. The program is in effect for traffic arriving at Newark Airport, according to FAA officials. Some arriving flights are delayed an average of over an hour and a half. The delays come amid nationwide air traffic controller shortages and Newark-specific mishaps in recent months. In May, the FAA issued a ground delay for EWR due to staffing shortages, weather and construction issues after a report found air traffic controllers briefly lost radar and radio signals. Nationwide, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the FAA is down 3,000 controllers. "We might have some shortages of air traffic controllers," Duffy told Fox News' Steve Doocy in May. "You know that we had telecom issues in Philadelphia, or in Newark, out of the Philly TRACON. So those factors all come into play. … A lot of the questions that come though — is it safe to fly? And of course it is. We have so many redundancies in place, but we have to fix the system." Air traffic controllers from other airspaces cannot be brought in to relieve the shortage because they need to be trained in Newark's airspace. While there are more than half a dozen new controllers in training at EWR, training and certification can take six months to a year. "Again, I can't just snap my fingers and fix the problems that Pete Buttigieg and Joe Biden left for me," Duffy said. Less than a month ago, the airport reopened one of its runways ahead of schedule, decreasing disruptions. Runway 4L-22R, which was fully closed for about a month, reopened in May—with limited closures continuing on weeknights through December, and on weekends, September through December. Two remaining runways, 4R-22L and 11-29, remain available for use throughout the closure periods, pending weather disruptions.
Yahoo
12 hours ago
- Yahoo
Could a $25,000 Investment Into Archer Aviation Stock Make You a Millionaire?
Archer Aviation has captivated investors and businesses with its Midnight aircraft, an electric air taxi with loads of potential. Demand has been robust, with Archer's order book totaling $6 billion thus far. The company is still in the early stages of producing the aircraft. 10 stocks we like better than Archer Aviation › One of the hottest growth stocks of late is Archer Aviation (NYSE: ACHR), which has the potential to revolutionize travel with its electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. People taking its Midnight aircraft could conceivably fly over gridlock rather than being stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic. There are many possible uses for the piloted electric air taxi, which is quieter than a helicopter and has zero operating emissions. Given all the potential for the stock, can this be a possible 40-bagger investment -- one that turns a $25,000 into $1 million in the future? One thing investors need to be aware of is that while there are significant opportunities for Archer, it still has to obtain approval for its Midnight aircraft, and for it to produce it at scale. It has obtained multiple approvals from the Federal Aviation Administration thus far, and the hope is that it may not be too long until the aircraft is cleared for use in the U.S. But even if that happens, the company still needs to ramp up production. The Midnight aircraft can accommodate four passengers, so the company will need to develop a considerable fleet before it can truly become a big player in the air taxi industry. Its goal is to be producing 650 aircraft per year by the end of the decade. This year, it's aiming to get to just two per month. Since it's so early in its development, Archer isn't generating any revenue thus far, and its losses have totaled $514 million over the past four quarters. The good news is the business is already seeing strong demand, with a backlog of around $6 billion thus far, including United Airlines, which has ordered 200 of Archer's eVTOL aircraft already, plus an option for 100 more. If Archer proves to be a 40x investment, its valuation would need to reach more than $220 billion in the future, given its current market cap of around $5.6 billion. If air taxis truly revolutionize travel and demand for Archer's aircraft takes off, that can be a possibility in the very long run. But that's a scenario that's also riddled with multiple ifs. The necessary infrastructure needs to be built, and air spaces would become more crowded, which could result in greater legislation and red tape along the way. And with the company still in the early stages of producing its aircraft, it's also difficult to know what kind of margins it will make on them and how profitable the business may or may not be. A lot of things would need to go right for the business for it to be worth well over $200 billion. Forecasting the future for an industry that's still in its infancy is not easy. And while there's certainly potential for Archer's valuation to grow significantly, investors shouldn't assume that the stock is destined for greatness and that it can generate 40x returns, even over the very long term. Even though investing in Archer may not be a surefire path to becoming a millionaire, it may still be a growth stock worth adding to your portfolio. If you're comfortable with the risk and uncertainty that comes with this business, it could make for a good buy-and-hold investment. However, given the risk involved, I wouldn't suggest investing more than 5% of your portfolio into the stock. By allocating just a modest amount of money into Archer, you can limit your losses while still giving yourself the possibility to benefit from its growth in the long run. Before you buy stock in Archer Aviation, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the for investors to buy now… and Archer Aviation wasn't one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $659,171!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $891,722!* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor's total average return is 995% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 172% for the S&P 500. Don't miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join . See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of June 9, 2025 David Jagielski has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Could a $25,000 Investment Into Archer Aviation Stock Make You a Millionaire? was originally published by The Motley Fool Sign in to access your portfolio
New York Times
20 hours ago
- New York Times
Airlines and Trump Administration Backpedal on Protections for Travelers With Wheelchairs
In January, airline passengers who use wheelchairs saw brighter horizons ahead for their often-difficult travels. A new rule adopted by the federal government meant that airlines would expand support for disabled passengers throughout their trips and enhance training for employees who assist them, and carriers would be compelled to replace wheelchairs that were lost or damaged and offer loaners promptly, among other changes. But shortly after President Trump was inaugurated, the Transportation Department moved to delay enforcement of the rule — initially until March, then until August — and now, airlines are challenging one of its provisions in court. When the government issued the rule in December, supporters heralded it as a win after decades of advocacy, saying it struck a blow for the rights of disabled travelers, for whom inconsistent help, physical discomfort and damaged wheelchairs were unfortunate norms of flying. 'Those rules were a huge win for wheelchair users,' said Seth McBride, a wheelchair rugby athlete who lives in Washington State. 'It felt like the D.O.T. was starting to listen to the disability community,' he said, adding that he felt that airlines were being forced to take the needs of wheelchair users seriously and provide the same level of service they provide to everybody else. Now the rule is on notably shakier ground. Airlines for America, a trade association that represents the country's biggest airlines, joined by member carriers American Airlines, JetBlue Airways, Southwest Airlines, United Airlines and Delta Air Lines, has filed a lawsuit in federal court arguing that the Transportation Department overstepped its statutory authority in adopting the measure. The petitioners argued in an opening brief filed last week that the rule wrongly makes airlines liable for damaged wheelchairs even when they have not discriminated against disabled travelers, such as if mishandling was an 'act of God' or beyond the airline's control. One example they cited was if the wheelchair was in poor condition before the start of the trip. In those cases, they should not be held liable, they said, allowing that the rest of the rule's provisions could be left in place. The lawsuit 'simply seeks to ensure that D.O.T. acts within the scope of its authority to regulate only acts within airlines' control and responsibility,' the brief reads. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
