Some travelers spent Friday night at the airport after a nationwide ground stop disrupted flights across the country.

PALM SPRINGS, CA

Flights have been allowed to resume at Palm Springs International Airport after the Federal Aviation Administration lifted a nationwide ground stop Friday evening. But travelers should continue to check with their airlines as delays and cancellations disrupt schedules.

The FAA stopped departures nationwide Friday afternoon after a communications problem affected air traffic control centers. The ground stop lasted more than four hours before it was lifted at about 5:15 p.m. Pacific time.

Palm Springs International Airport said Friday that flights were expected to resume but warned that travelers could still face delays and cancellations as airlines worked to recover their schedules.

Passengers stranded overnight

The disruption left some passengers spending Friday night at the Palm Springs airport while waiting for flights on Saturday, NBC Palm Springs reported.

Among them were Kevin and Linda Boston, who had planned to fly home to Tennessee on Friday afternoon. They told NBC Palm Springs that their flight was delayed repeatedly and that they ultimately stayed at the airport overnight.

As of 6 p.m. Friday, nine departing flights and 12 arriving flights at Palm Springs International Airport had been canceled, KESQ reported. Those figures reflect Friday’s cancellations and do not represent a total for Saturday.

Recovery could take time

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said Saturday morning that operations were slowly returning to normal, but travelers could continue to see delays and cancellations as airlines reschedule flights and move aircraft and crews to where they are needed.

More than 2,500 flights were canceled nationwide on Saturday, according to FlightAware figures reported by The Associated Press. Officials warned that the effects of Friday’s stoppage could continue for days.

Federal officials said the disruption involved older air traffic control equipment that became overloaded, causing intermittent communications and radar gaps. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said there was no indication the failure was related to a cyberattack.

Check your flight before leaving

Travelers flying into or out of Palm Springs should check their flight status directly with their airline before heading to the airport. Flight information is also available on the Palm Springs International Airport website.