BILLINGS — Flights are back up and running at Billings Logan International Airport after a nationwide Federal Aviation Administration ground stop on Friday, but some travelers are still working to get their plans back on track.
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While Saturday brought a quieter scene at the airport, passengers were still dealing with canceled flights, delays, and changes to their travel plans. Some were booking new flights, while others waited for family members whose trips had been disrupted.
“I'm surprised it's as quiet as it is right now, just with everybody being hung up yesterday,” traveler David Brown said Saturday.
Brown was trying to get to Washington state. His trip initially started in Sheridan, Wyoming, on Friday, but delays and a canceled flight forced him to find another way to reach his destination.
“It eventually went, but they wouldn't let us on the plane because TSA went home,” Brown said. "We were just trying to figure out how long it was going to be."
He eventually found another flight out of Billings for Saturday.
For others, Saturday was about waiting for loved ones to make it home. Celeste Reising was at the Billings airport to pick up her son-in-law, who was returning from Texas after a work trip. His flight was delayed, leaving Reising and her family uncertain about when he would arrive.
“He was ready to come back, and then they were concerned because there was delays. And he thought, ‘Oh my gosh, I'm gonna have to rent a car maybe,’” Reising said.
Her son-in-law eventually made it to Billings, but she said the uncertainty surrounding the stoppage left her worried.
“There was some fear and trepidation, but now it sounds like everything's back in working order,” she said. "If you were around for 9/11 and remembered when there was absolutely no planes flying for days, it's almost kind of gives you a little reminder, like, 'Oh, I hope that was nothing too serious.'"
The FAA halted departing flights nationwide Friday after a temporary telecommunications outage disrupted parts of the air traffic control system. The ground stop lasted more than four hours before the FAA lifted it at about 8:15 p.m. Eastern time.
Related: FAA nationwide ground stop: What to know about delays, rebooking and refunds
The outage affected radar feeds and communications with aircraft, prompting officials to halt departures as a safety precaution. Flights already in the air were allowed to continue to their destinations.
The FAA said the system had stabilized by Saturday, but airlines still faced significant work to recover from the disruption. Officials estimated thousands of cancellations could continue through the day as airlines worked to restore schedules.
At Billings Logan International Airport, the effects were visible Friday on the departure board. Airport officials reported four canceled arrivals, two canceled departures, and eight delayed flights.
"Will miss my connecting flight and I don't really know what I'm going to do. No one's able to really tell me anything right now or reschedule," said traveler Hayes Rohloff, who was heading to Austin on Friday.
"I don't live in Ukraine. That's what I say. I don't live in, you know, we don't live in some place where it's really difficult. I may sleep here in the airport, but if I do, it's just not that big a deal," said Tim Myers, heading to Los Angeles.
Assistant Aviation Director Paul Khera said smaller aircraft continued flying under visual flight rules during the stoppage.
Although the nationwide ground stop has ended, the disruption continues to affect travelers as airlines work through the backlog.
Related: What caused the FAA ground stop? Officials point to router failure during update
Heidi Stevens, a local travel agent with HighDTravel, said she received messages from worried clients as the stoppage unfolded. She was also dealing with travel disruptions in her own family, as her son was delayed returning from a wedding in Arizona and arrived at the airport Saturday afternoon to pick him up.
“Panic sets with everybody,” Stevens said. “I mean, we just have had too much happen in the world to not be, oh, this is just something, you know?”
Stevens said the biggest challenge now is the ripple effect. Even travelers who were not directly affected on Friday could face delays as airlines work to get displaced passengers to their destinations.
For passengers still dealing with changes, Stevens recommends staying in contact with the airline and avoiding the urge to book a replacement flight independently.
“Just stay in contact, be patient. I would suggest not rebooking. Don't jump to that rebooking on your own because then you might be having to pay twice,” she said. "Your gate attendant and your airline and on your app really is going to be your best and firsthand knowledge."
Instead, travelers should check their airline's app for updates and speak with gate agents about available options. If a delay means missing a hotel reservation, rental car, or other scheduled service, Stevens recommends contacting those businesses as soon as possible.
"A lot of times, your first night, if you don't show up, you don't check in, then your whole reservation is canceled unless you coordinate that," she said.
Stevens also recommends working with a travel agent when possible, saying agents can help clients navigate changes and find alternatives.
Above all, she encourages travelers to remain patient and remember that airline employees are working through the same disruption.
“Just be nice and be kind, definitely to the flight attendants, the pilots, the gate attendants, your luggage person,” Stevens said. "Because everybody's in the same situation."
For Brown, who had to rearrange his own trip, sometimes there is little travelers can do but wait.
“There's nothing you can do, so you just kind of wait it out,” he said.
