Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer said officials are coordinating with airport leaders and federal officials as a nationwide FAA ground stop leaves travelers stranded and disrupts wedding plans. (GV Wire File)
- Dyer said Fresno officials are coordinating with airport leadership and federal officials amid nationwide disruptions.
- Elena Balabanis, who was in the Fresno airport at the time, said limited rebooking options will force her to miss a wedding Saturday in Omaha.
- Travelers learned about the ground stop through relatives before an airport announcement came, Balabanis said.
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Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer said Friday that city officials are working with airport leadership and federal officials as a nationwide Federal Aviation Administration outage disrupts travel in Fresno and across the country.
“I know how frustrating and concerning this situation is for people trying to get to their destinations, especially those who are stranded and waiting for answers,” Dyer said in a statement.
The FAA ordered a nationwide halt to departing flights after reporting serious air traffic control communications problems. Aircraft already airborne were allowed to land, while planes on the ground were prohibited from taking off.
“Our priority is making sure passengers are safe and that flights can resume as quickly and safely as possible,” Dyer said. “We are staying in contact with our airport leadership and federal officials as they work to resolve this issue.”
Fresno Passenger Speaks on the Outage
For Elena Balabanis, the disruption means missing a wedding Saturday in Omaha, Nebraska.
Balabanis said she was offered a refund or the option to rebook at the Fresno airport, but most alternative flights were already full, leaving her unable to arrive in time. She said she was also with another traveler whose entire family was already at the wedding.
Travelers initially appeared unaware of the ground stop, Balabanis said, until her mother saw a news update on her phone. She watched people throughout the airport discover the news and heard chatter grow as word spread.
She said it took about an hour for the airport to notify passengers.
People mostly remained calm, Balabanis said, but the atmosphere grew tense as travelers crowded around airport workers seeking answers.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy told The Associated Press that the communications problem was affecting regional air traffic control centers that guide aircraft between airports nationwide. FAA technicians were investigating.
Despite her disrupted plans, Balabanis said she found a bright spot as stranded travelers began talking to one another, sharing a moment of connection amid the uncertainty.
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