How Some Flights Were Exempt From the Ground Stop

The FAA allowed some flights to depart during Friday’s nationwide ground stop as air traffic control facilities recovered and coordinated with the command centre. The exceptions helped some passengers reach overseas destinations or Hawaii, while thousands of other travellers faced cancellations and disruption.

More than 8,200 flights were cancelled, over 31 per cent of those scheduled, and more than 60 overseas-bound flights still departed, according to aviation data firms. International flights could use less congested oceanic airspace and coordinate with authorities outside the contiguous United States; flights to Hawaii and Asia could also be handled by regional centres beyond the affected area. Alaska, Hawaii and Guam flights, as well as emergency medical and law enforcement aircraft, were exempt.