Airports fill with stranded passengers: ‘I might spend the rest of my life here’

It was a day marked by confusion and frayed nerves as passengers dealt with more than 1,000 delayed flights due to the Federal Aviation Administration’s nationwide ground stop. Passengers were stranded at airports as they waited to see how long the delays would last and when their canceled flights would be rebooked. kAm+24< #:496:>6C[ ah[ 7@F?5 9:>D6=7 DEF4< 2E {@D p?86=6D x?E6C?2E:@?2= p:CA@CE’D %6C>:?2= e @? uC:52J[ “CF??:?8 2C@F?5 =:<6 2 49:4<6? H:E9 :ED 9625 4FE @77[” 9@A:?8 E@ 7:?5 2 H2J E@ $2? uC2?4:D4@]k^Am kAm(96? 96 2CC:G65 2E E96 2:CA@CE[ 9:D 7=:89E E@ $2? uC2?4:D4@ x?E6C?2E:@?2= p:CA@CE H2D @77:4:2==J 56=2J65[ 2?5 E96 D4C66?D 2E E96 E6C>:?2= D9@H65 ?@ 42?46==2E:@?D[ D@ 96 7:8FC65 96 ;FDE ?66565 E@ H2:E] %96? 9:D A9@?6 =:E FA[ H:E9 D6G6C2= 7C:6?5D E6==:?8 9:>i “*@F’C6 DEF4<]”k^Am kAmp? p=2D<2 p:C=:?6D 286?E 96=A65 9:> C63@@< 7@C $2EFC52J[ 3FE #:496:>6C H2?E65 E@ <66A 9:D A=2?D :? E96 q2J pC62 2?5 D4C2>3=65 E@ 7:?5 2 H2J E@ >2<6 :E E96C6]k^Am kAm~E96C EC2G6=6CD 2C@F?5 9:> D66>65 6:E96C E@ 36 7C2?E:42==J H@C<:?8 @? E96:C A9@?6D @C D:EE:?8 :? 5:D36=:67] “xE’D 2 =:EE=6 @G6CH96=>:?8[” 96 D2:5]k^Am kAmw:D 7=:89E 9@>6 E@ }6H *@C< r:EJ @? $F?52J H:== 56A2CE 7C@> $u~[ D@ 96 EC:65 E96 C6?E2= 42C 4@>A2?:6D — 9@A:?8 E@ 5C:G6 :?DE625 — 3FE ?@ @?6 H2D A:4<:?8 FA E96 A9@?6]k^Am kAm“x’> 2=D@ A2CE @7 2 >2DD 6I@5FD 7C@> E9:D 2:CA@CE 2E E96 >@>6?E[” #:496:>6C D2:5] “x 42>6 E@ {]p] ?@E C62=:K:?8 E92E x >:89E DA6?5 E96 C6DE @7 >J =:76 96C6]”k^Am kAmw:D A=2? H2D E@ D9@H FA 2E 2 C6?E2= 42C 724:=:EJ ?62C {p) 2?5 9@A6 7@C E96 36DE] %96 324:?2= 2E {p) 2?DH6C:?8 H@C< 6>2:=D H9:=6 D96 H2:E65 7@C 2 C:56D92C6 E@ 4@>6 E2<6 96C 9@>6]k^Am kAm%96 C6E2:= >2C<6E:?8 5:C64E@C 2CC:G65 2E E96 2:CA@CE EH@ 9@FCD 367@C6 96C A=2??65 bic_ A]>] 7=:89E E@ }6H *@C<’D yuz 2:CA@CE 7@C 2 H@C< EC:A — @?=J E@ 7:?5 :E 925 366? 27764E65 3J E96 DE@AA286] $96 D2:5 D96 EC:65 42?46=:?8 96C E:4<6E[ 3FE s6=E2’D 2AA 2?5 H63D:E6 H6C6 92G:?8 E649?:42= :DDF6D]k^Am kAm“x 766= 36EE6C E92E x’> ?@E 86EE:?8 @?[” |@J6] D2:5] “yFDE :? 42D6]”k^Am kAmsJ=2? $49C@656C[ bf[ 925 2=C625J 3@2C565 2 A=2?6 :? r92C=@EE6[ }]r] 2C@F?5 bicd A]>] t2DE6C? %:>6[ 962565 7@C ~C=2?5@ H96? E96 A:=@E >256 2? F?FDF2= 2??@F?46>6?E]k^Am kAm“~?46 6G6CJ@?6 H2D @? 3@2C5[” 96 D2:5[ “E96 A:=@E 42>6 @? D2J:?8 p:C %C277:4 r@?EC@= H2D 92G:?8 DJDE6> :DDF6D]”k^Am kAm%96 A:=@E D2:5 E96J’5 DE2J @? E96 A=2?6 7@C 2? FA52E6 2?5[ 27E6C ;FDE @G6C 2? 9@FC 2??@F?465 E92E E96 A2DD6?86CD H@F=5 56A=2?6]k^Am kAm$49C@656C[ 2 q2E@? #@F86 C6D:56?E[ D2:5 E96 @G6C2== >@@5 @? E96 A=2?6 H2D 5646?E “4@?D:56C:?8 E96 4:C4F>DE2?46D]” $6G6C2= A2DD6?86CD H9@ 2AA62C65 E@ 36 8@:?8 E@ s:D?6J (@C=5 2AA62C65 E@ 36 5:D2AA@:?E65]k^Am kAm$64C6E2CJ |2C65 E92E :E H2D 2 E6=64@>>F?:42E:@?D @FE286 2?5 E92E E96 8C@F?5 DE@A 5:5 ?@E 4@?DE:EFE6 2 ?2E:@?2= D64FC:EJ E9C62E]k^Am kAmpD @7 aib_ A]>][ E96C6 H6C6 >@C6 E92? h[h__ 7=:89ED 56=2J65 24C@DD E96 &?:E65 $E2E6D 2?5 23@FE h__ 42?46==2E:@?D[ 244@C5:?8 E@ u=:89EpH2C6[ 2 7=:89E EC24<:?8 H63D:E6] pE {@D p?86=6D x?E6C?2E:@?2= p:CA@CE[ >@C6 E92? dd_ 7=:89ED H6C6 56=2J65[ 2?5 cf 925 366? 42?46=65]k^Am kAm&?:E65 2?5 s6=E2 2:C=:?6D 92G6 A@DE65 FA52E6D @? E96:C H63D:E6D E@ 2=6CE A2DD6?86CD]k^Am kAm“%96 upp 92D :DDF65 2 ?2E:@?H:56 8C@F?5 DE@A] }6H 5@>6DE:4 7=:89ED H:== ?@E 56A2CE H9:=6 E96 upp 8C@F?5 DE@A C6>2:?D :? A=246] x?E6C?2E:@?2= 56A2CEFC6D 2C6 36:?8 >2?2865 @? 2 42D6\3J\42D6 32D:D 3J E96 upp] &?:E65 7=:89ED E92E 2C6 2=C625J 2:C3@C?6 H:== 4@?E:?F6[ 3FE 5:G6CD:@?D 2C6 @44FCC:?8 5F6 E@ E96 ?F>36C @7 2:CA=2?6D @? E96 8C@F?5 2E @FC 9F3D] r2?46==2E:@?D 2C6 36:?8 :>A=6>6?E65 5F6 E@ 4@?86DE:@? :? E96 ?2E:@?’D 2:C EC277:4 DJDE6>[” &?:E65 HC@E6 @? :ED H63D:E6]k^Am kAm00000k^Am