Travelers at Detroit Metro Airport experienced significant delays today when Delta Air Lines initiated a ground stop, later shifting to a ground delay, following a network outage early in the morning. According to Detroit Metro Airport's statement, the issue specifically impacted Delta flights at the McNamara Terminal, although other airlines remained unaffected, as reported by ClickOnDetroit.
The ground stop — a temporary measure mandating planes refrain from taking off or landing — was upgraded to a "ground delay" around 9 a.m., with most Delta flights then delayed by an average of approximately two hours and 40 minutes, the Federal Aviation Administration reported. The delays began surfacing around 5 a.m., as people at the airport informed Local 4 of the unfolding problems at DTW, according to the station's reports.
Flight tracking website FlightAware.com documented the disruption, reporting a total of 82 delays and 59 cancellations — highlighting the broad impact of the outage. The Detroit Free Press added that the FAA anticipated the stop would be lifted by 9 a.m. but cautioned there was a "medium chance" of an extended delay.
In light of the events, Delta offered apologies for the inconvenience and emphasized customer service. "Delta flights are resuming at Detroit (DTW) following a connectivity issue this morning that has been resolved. Delta has issued a waiver [delta.com] to provide flexibility for customers traveling to, from, or through DTW on Dec. 5 and 6," Delta stated in a message obtained by WXYZ. Additionally, a traveler named Dravon Rogers, caught up in the disruptions, told WXYZ, "We got here at 5:10. She walked around at 5:45 just saying that everything's out, not really like specification. I doubt that she had anything to do with it or knew anything, but I still don't really know anything for sure," conveying the confusion amid the delays.
