Flights resume at Tulsa International Airport after ground stop; delays and cancellations continue

TULSA, Okla. — Flights have resumed at Tulsa International Airport following a nationwide ground stop, but travelers are still facing delays and cancellations.

On November 13th, the Federal Aviation Administration placed the U.S. on a ground stop after officials said they were having problems with air traffic control communications.

While the FAA said flights resumed four hours later, FlightAware reported more than 20 delays and more than 30 cancellations in Tulsa on November 14th.

2 News spoke with several travelers at the airport about how the disruption affected their plans.

Dominick and Dawn Cefalone said they've been trying to get home to Florida since the morning.

"We arrived on Monday. We have 2 brand new grandbabies that we came out to visit. We were trying to get back home. Our flight went out today to ATL on Delta, and we got here early to drop off a rental car. And so we just got here early and just gonna be waiting and we already started delayed 30 minutes, delayed 30 minutes and then within 15 minutes it was canceled. So now we don't know what to do. Uh, we gotta get back to Florida somehow," Dominick Cefalone said.

Jim Stryker said he's been dealing with cancellations since the ground stop began. The next day, he said he is still waiting but is hopeful his flight this evening takes off.

"I mean, just roll with the punches, you know. For me it's like, hey, it could be a lot worse. I want everybody to, you know just be mindful that, hey, this is a first world problem. We have the opportunity to travel and to be kind and patient to, you know, all the people that are just controlling the boards and doing the best job that they possibly can," Stryker said.

Jane and David Nelson also had their flight to Houston cancelled.

"We were supposed to fly out early this morning. Um, we're going to Houston to see our grandson for his second birthday," Jane Nelson said. "We found out last night that our flight was canceled, but we figured out a way that we could rebook pretty quickly. And so we're just delayed a few hours, and we're looking forward to making the trip today."

For some travelers, that means finding another flight. For others, it means waiting and hoping their next one takes off as planned.

For an updated number of delays and cancellations, click here.

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