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Denver International Airport had the most flight disruptions on Wednesday, prompted by a Federal Aviation Administration ground stop due to thunderstorms. According to FlightAware, there were 7,699 delays within, into, or out of the U.S. on Wednesday, July 29, along with 559 cancelled flights. Along with Denver International Airport, other major hubs nationwide also experienced setbacks.

U.S. Airports With The Most Departure Delays On July 29

The ground stop at Denver comes the day after the FAA stopped flights at 13 major airports. American Airlines also experienced a nationwide IT outage on the same day, cancelling the most flights among all airlines. However, on Wednesday, United Airlines had the most cancelled flights, aided by disruptions at Denver International Airport, its major hub.

The FAA Temporarily Grounded Flights At Denver International Airport Due To Thunderstorms

Due to heavy rain, several flash flood warnings went into effect across Denver. The thunderstorm reached the airport in the mid-afternoon, resulting in an FAA ground stop that temporarily paused all flights at Denver International Airport. Following the ground stop, a ground delay was issued, causing average delays of over an hour.

As a result of the ground stop and ground delay, disruptions increased at Denver International Airport. America’s largest airport faced the most delays worldwide among all airports for both departures and arrivals.

Given that DEN has the highest volume of flights, United Airlines was the carrier most affected by the disruptions. United has 20 cancelled flights at DEN, along with 327 delays. In total, United Airlines had the most cancelled flights among all airlines, with 108 due to the disruptions at Denver, along with issues at its other major hubs, Newark Liberty International Airport and Chicago O’Hare International Airport.

It was a frustrating experience for United customers, particularly those with flights to and from Denver.

How Travelers Reacted To The Flight Disruptions At Denver International Airport

Traveler Clyde was one of the many passengers to experience multiple delays on a United flight headed to Denver International Airport. On X, the United customer shared their forgettable experience. Despite normal boarding, passengers were taken off the flight. This led to ongoing disruptions.

“We were supposed to board at 2:33 p.m. CT, but after everyone got on the plane, we were immediately told to deplane for an unknown reason. Once everyone was off, the captain said we needed to re-board because of an air traffic control typo. After boarding again, we sat for about an hour with no updates before learning that weather in Denver was preventing us from landing. We remained on the plane without air conditioning, and after more than three hours on the ground, the pilot finally announced we were cleared for takeoff—but we still had to wait for the baggage to be loaded.”

Adding to the delays, the flight took a different route over the Rocky Mountains, adding almost an entire extra hour. ​​​​​​

“Once the plane landed in Denver, more disruptions took place. “Update to the @united saga – landed in DEN and after all the delays…. We don’t have a gate. Sitting in the plane on the tarmac with nowhere to go and a connection that boards in 35 minutes. He later added, “10:16pm for a flight originally scheduled for 7:35pm…. Still on the ground in Denver.”

United Airlines did respond to the customer, asking for flight details. As for Denver International Airport, the hub warned travelers to expect longer lines.

“We are experiencing heavier than usual traffic at our security checkpoints. Expect longer lines. Give yourself extra time to get through security this morning and check http://flydenver.com for current wait times,” DEN wrote on X.

A difficult day of travel for flights to and from Denver. However, with nationwide storms taking place, other major airports were also affected.

The Current Delays And Cancellations Nationwide

Flights to New York, New Jersey and Boston also saw increases in disruptions. Newark Liberty International Airport had the most cancelled departures on Wednesday, at 63. Boston Logan International Airport and LaGuardia Airport had the most departure cancellations at 40.

Looking ahead to Thursday, U.S. airport disruptions are low as of early morning.

As for the major airlines, Delta has the most planned cancellations for Thursday, currently the highest among all U.S. airlines at 21. With ongoing weather uncertainties, the FAA may issue more stoppages, triggering additional flight disruptions on Thursday.