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Only a day after the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) paused all flights at America’s busiest airports, travelers faced more disruptions on Tuesday, with 13 different airports facing a complete stop on flights due to ground stops. The ground stops included some of the busiest airports in the U.S., such as Denver International Airport (DEN) and Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR).

FAA Ground Stops: Affected Hubs On July 28

• SNA — John Wayne Airport
• BOS — Boston Logan International Airport
• BWI — Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport
• CDW — Essex County Airport
• DCA — Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport
• DEN — Denver International Airport
• EWR — Newark Liberty International Airport
• IAD — Washington Dulles International Airport
• JFK — John F. Kennedy International Airport
• LGA — LaGuardia Airport
• MMU — Morristown Municipal Airport
• PHL — Philadelphia International Airport
• TEB — Teterboro Airport

Adding to the weather-related ground stops, American Airlines faced a cancellation meltdown due to a nationwide IT outage.

The nationwide travel issues on Tuesday are expected to carry on into Wednesday, with another heavy day of disruptions.

U.S. Flight Cancellations Surpass 2,500 In A Single Day

It was another hectic day of delays and cancellations across the United States, particularly higher on the East Coast. According to FlightAware, there were 2,538 cancellations for flights within, into, or out of the United States on Tuesday, along with 8,434 delays.

The ground stops were a major reason for the heavy cancellations nationwide, while American Airlines also drove up the disruptions in the early evening due to a tech outage that affected all flights for less than an hour.

U.S. Airports With The Most Departure Cancellations On July 28

Major airlines were affected by a high volume of flight cancellations. Republic had the most cancellations, with 522 affecting 40% of its total volume. American Airlines had 341 canceled flights, while United Airlines and JetBlue also exceeded the 250-mark due to weather-related ground stops.

Travelers expressed frustration online due to delays and cancellations being higher than usual during a busy travel period. Many reported issues that were beyond the weather, particularly American Airlines’ unexpected IT outage.

How Travelers Reacted To The Heavy Nationwide Disruptions

While some battled weather delays, traveler Colleen Wordock faced a lengthy disruption due to American Airlines’ nationwide IT outage, which affected thousands of travelers. The outage occurred at roughly 6:30 p.m. ET on Tuesday and was restored a little over 45 minutes later, at 7:18 p.m. ET.

Wordock wrote on X, “The “system” is down for @AmericanAir at DCA @Reagan_Airport Monitors at gate direct passengers to their app. All boarding halted at least in terminal D And I thought the weather was my worry.”

At LaGuardia Airport, issues continued. On Tuesday, the airport canceled more than half of its flights, with 274 departure cancellations and 287 arrivals. Travelers expressed disappointment, questioning if LGA was fully staffed due to additional baggage delays.

“Is LGA fully staffed and operational today? Waiting on my luggage from flight DL2461 that was grounded in Baltimore yesterday, the traveler wrote on X.

Other travelers faced both delays and cancellations. One United Airlines passenger reported that a two-hour delay was later followed by a cancellation due to weather. All United passengers were forced to get off the plane.

“Two hours delayed already, and the pilot decides to be a hero and wait an extra 15 minutes more for 1 passenger running late. In that time, the FAA decided to cancel the flight due to weather, so we had to deplane. What a joke! Never ever fly United Airlines.”

Tuesday was a disruption-filled day of travel throughout the United States. Delays are expected to continue on Wednesday due to severe weather in the Eastern part of the United States.

Current Delays And Cancellations At Major U.S. Airports

As of early Wednesday morning, LaGuardia once again has the most canceled departures, while Newark Liberty International Airport leads all airports worldwide in canceled arrivals. Both numbers are expected to increase due to weather-related ground stops throughout the day.

As for the major U.S. airlines, American Airlines currently has the most canceled flights a day after its nationwide IT outage that affected thousands of passengers.

U.S. Airlines With The Most Canceled Flights On July 29

The major airlines have prepared for another increase in disruptions on the East Coast. United Airlines, American Airlines, and Delta Air Lines are all providing customers with flexible rebooking at specific hubs, waiving the change fees.

United Airlines’ Flexible Rebooking Includes:

• Baltimore, MD, US (BWI)
• Washington, DC, US (DCA)
• Newark, NJ/New York, NY, US (EWR)
• Washington, DC, US (IAD)
• New York, NY, US (JFK)
• New York, NY, US (LGA)
• Philadelphia, PA, US (PHL)

The carrier tells affected customers, “If your flight is affected, here are your options: You can reschedule your trip and we’ll waive change fees and fare differences. But, your new flight must be a United flight departing between July 27, 2026, and July 30, 2026. Tickets must be in the same cabin and between the same cities as originally booked.”

Travelers are encouraged to check the status of their flights frequently, especially due to the recent increase in weather delays. More ground stops may be issued on Wednesday by the FAA, with another busy day of travel.