Stuck, delayed, or flight canceled during nationwide ground stop? What your flyers' rights are.

Stuck, delayed, or flight canceled during nationwide ground stop? What your flyers' rights are. Advertisement Updated: 6:37 PM CST Nov 13, 2026 Editorial Standards ⓘ Taylor Lang Digital Content Manager Stuck, delayed, or flight canceled during nationwide ground stop? What your flyers' rights are. Updated: 6:37 PM CST Nov 13, 2026 Editorial Standards ⓘ Taylor Lang Digital Content Manager MILWAUKEE — Video above: Aviation expert shares insight during nationwide ground stop The Federal Aviation Administration on Friday ordered a nationwide ground stop for all airports on Friday afternoon. Advertisement "Due to extraordinary circumstances and for reasons of safety. Attention all aircraft operators, by order of the Federal Aviation Command Center all airports are ground stopped. All departing traffic should remain ground stopped until further notice. Inbound international flights will be managed on a case-by-case basis," the alert said. For the passengers who were on the tarmac or in the airport at the time, this meant delays, cancellations, and for some, being stuck on the plane. So what are your rights as a flyer? To read the full DOT Fly Rights, click here . Delays and cancellations Airlines do not guarantee their schedules, and federal law generally does not require them to pay compensation for a domestic flight delay or cancellation. "Contrary to popular belief, for domestic itineraries airlines are not required to compensate passengers whose flights are delayed or canceled," the DOT website states. If a flight is canceled or significantly changed, however, passengers who reject the airline’s rebooking offer are entitled to a refund, including for nonrefundable tickets. Airlines often rebook passengers, but travelers should check directly with their carrier about available flights and any meal or hotel assistance, which can vary by airline. For a full DOT dashboard showing airline cancellation and delay commitments by airlines, click here . Held on the tarmac If a plane is held on the tarmac, airlines generally must give passengers a chance to get off before three hours on domestic flights or four hours on international flights, with limited safety, security and air traffic control exceptions. Food and water must be provided within two hours, unless safety or security prevents it. Wisconsin football team lands in Maryland safely during FAA nationwide ground stop Flight insurance If flight insurance was purchased while buying the plane ticket, check with the provider and file a claim to see if it qualifies for full reimbursement. Make WISN a preferred source on Google Add Preferred Source Share Infinite Scroll Enabled Top Picks How long is the nationwide ground stop going to last? Flights halted at airports across US due to air traffic control communications problems QUIZ: This week in national news New Orleans cruise ship collision: All accounted for, 32 hospitalized