The Federal Aviation Administration ordered a ground stop for Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport because of thunderstorms in metro Phoenix, according to the FAA's National Airspace System Status website.
The ground stop took effect at 7 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 24, causing expected delays of 15 minutes or less.
The National Weather Service predicted only a 10% chance of precipitation on Sept. 24. Weather service radar showed a thunderstorm moving across the Valley.
Flights were delayed by about 30 minutes on average, according to the FAA. Here's how many were affected.
How many flights were disrupted at Phoenix Sky Harbor?
Eight flights were canceled and 52 flights were delayed as of 7:30 a.m. Sept. 24, 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.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Phoenix Sky Harbor flights canceled, delayed due to ground stop
