U.S. flight disruption drags into weekend after nationwide ground stop

More than a million passengers have faced continued disruption into the weekend after a nationwide ground stop halted U.S. flights, with airlines canceling thousands of services and scrambling to reposition planes and crews.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) lifted the ground stop on Friday evening after hours of disruption, but cancellations and delays are expected through the weekend.

More than 15,000 flights have been canceled so far, according to flight tracking service FlightAware. The four-hour nationwide grounding was the third of its kind in modern U.S. aviation history.

New York area airports were among the hardest hit. About 80 percent of flights were canceled at LaGuardia Airport, and nearly half at John F. Kennedy International Airport.

One passenger at LaGuardia described learning of the cancellation an hour before boarding.

"I checked my flights this morning and everything was showing up as on time and on schedule. So I came to the airport and then about an hour before boarding found out my flight was canceled and that Southwest had rebooked me for a flight two days from now on Monday," he said.

Asked what he would do for the next few days, the passenger said he was looking for a place to stay.

"My wife told me to enjoy two more nights in New York City. I'd rather be home this weekend, to be honest, but I'm just trying to find a place to stay. The airline's not compensating anybody for anything, so I'm trying to book a room to stay in right now," he said.

The passenger had checked other airlines and found everything booked out, and while he considered flying to Denver and driving the six to seven hours to Albuquerque, there were no flights to Denver until late the following night, so he decided to wait until Monday.

At a press conference Friday evening, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy blamed the country's "incredibly old" air traffic control system for the ground stop and asked Congress for 50 billion U.S. dollars in emergency funding to overhaul the aging infrastructure.

Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, who also spoke at the press conference, said there were no indications that a cyberattack was responsible.

The ground stop was the first since January 2023, when a key FAA computer system malfunctioned, and the second since the aftermath of the Sept 11, 2001 attacks.

U.S. flight disruption drags into weekend after nationwide ground stop

Chinese intangible cultural heritage (ICH) crafts demonstrated the inheritance and innovation of China's ancient ecological philosophy at the ongoing 31st United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP31), which opened Monday in Antalya, Türkiye.

At the China Pavilion, a side event titled "Ecological and Environmental Protection and Rural Revitalization" featuring traditional ICH crafts including botanical dyeing from north China's Hebei Province -- dyeing textiles with natural pigments -- attracted many international visitors eager to learn more about China's active exploration in integrating traditional cultural inheritance, green industrial transformation and climate change response.

"Our ancestors left us this 3,000-year-old intangible cultural heritage -- botanical dyeing. Written records date back 3,000 years, while unearthed artifacts date back 5,000 years. The craft is truly recyclable and low-carbon: the materials come from nature, and after dyeing, the residue returns to nature and is biodegradable," said Duan Hui, curator of the Gaoyang Textile Museum in Baoding City, Hebei Province.

Besides traditional weaving and dyeing, the Ding-kiln porcelain production craft from Quyang, a county in Hebei Province, also appeared at the event.

Ding-kiln porcelain is distinct for its carved, incised or pressed patterns, and delicate body. Pang Yonghui, a Chinese arts and crafts master, said as ceramics production consumes energy and raw materials, reducing environmental impact while inheriting ancient techniques is an important issue for the ceramics industry in achieving green development.

"We are creating a kind of green and healthy porcelain. For example, our lead and cadmium leaching levels, as well as glaze hardness, exceed EU standards. So when cleaning this kind of porcelain, you don't need dish soap -- just rinse with warm water and it's clean," he said.

Local visitors marveled at the Chinese crafts, which fuse tradition with modern green thinking.

"I think it's something special because the man in there made things with the way and it was really fascinating. They showed us it. I really like the cup," said a local visitor.

COP31 showcase of traditional Chinese crafts highlights ancient green wisdom