Several major airports in the eastern United States were experiencing ground stops due to Federal Aviation Administration equipment outages.
Air traffic tracking account Flightradar24 was reporting ground stops at John F. Kennedy International Airport, LaGuardia Airport, Newark Liberty International Airport, Teterboro Airport, Philadelphia International Airport and Westchester County Airport.
"The FAA is pausing flights into Philadelphia International, Teterboro and Newark Liberty International airports due to issues with some frequencies at Philadelphia TRACON," an FAA spokesperson told CBS News.
TRACON, which stands for Terminal Radar Approach Control, is a facility that uses radar and radios to help planes approaching and departing airports.
Sky Harbor International Airport in Phoenix was also seeing higher numbers of delayed flights due to this issue. Of the 124 delayed flights, five of those were from John F. Kennedy International Airport and Newark Liberty International Airport alone.
Here's what travelers need to know.
How many flights were disrupted at Phoenix Sky Harbor?
Two flights were canceled and 124 flights were delayed as of 10:30 a.m. Sept. 21, flight tracking website FlightAware showed.
What is a ground stop?
A ground stop is an air traffic procedure requiring all aircraft remain on the ground. It's frequently used when it's not safe for flights to take off or land at an airport.
It's related to, but different from, a ground delay, which is when flights destined for an airport experiencing adverse conditions must delay their takeoffs, according to the FAA.
While the FAA can order ground stops and ground delays at airports, it does not cancel flights. That's up to the airlines.
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Michael Salerno is an award-winning journalist who’s covered travel and tourism since 2014. His work as The Arizona Republic’s consumer travel reporter aims to help readers navigate the stresses of traveling and get the best value for their money on their vacations. He can be reached at Michael.Salerno@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Over 100 flights delayed at Sky Harbor. What travelers must know
