FAA lifts ground stop at Austin airport

AUSTIN (KXAN) — On Friday, the Federal Aviation Administration issued a temporary Ground Stop for arriving flights from Houston and Dallas into the Austin airport (AUS). The order has since been lifted, according to the FAA's dashboard.

According to the FAA, the ground stop was issued due to staffing purposes, with a medium probability of extension.

Austin Mayor Pro Tem Vanessa Fuentes posted on X "THIS is why I've been demanding action on the critical air traffic controller staffing crisis. Travelers deserve safety AND reliability…"

"The FAA must address this emergency now - not after a tragedy forces their hand," Fuentes continued in a separate post.

Previously in December 2024, the FAA issued a ground delay at the Austin Bergstrom-International Airport, which affected numerous flights.

According to past KXAN coverage, an FAA spokesperson did note the agency hired more than 1,800 air traffic controllers in 2024, hitting its targeted goal. More than 2,000 additional air traffic controllers are expected to be hired come 2025.

Ground delays result in impacts to airplanes’ departure times and are enacted “when the projected traffic demand is expected to exceed the airport’s acceptance rate,” per the Federal Aviation Administration. Factors like poor weather, airline operation problems, technology hiccups, and operational issues from both federal agencies and airport operators can lead to air travel delays.