Raleigh flights are delayed and canceled following New York ground stop

Raleigh-Durham International Airport reported delays and cancellations Saturday following a Federal Aviation Administration ground stop ordered in New York and Philadelphia because of COVID-19.

FAA officials explained in a statement on Twitter that the ground stop was necessary after an air traffic controller trainee at New York Air Route Traffic Control Center in Ronkonkoma, N.Y., tested positive Saturday for coronavirus. The center handles mostly high-altitude, cross-country flights, according to the statement.

In the meantime, RDU’s arrival and departure boards began showing cancellations and delays. Airport spokespersons did not immediately return a voicemail seeking comment about whether this was a direct result of the ground stop.

At 4:30 p.m., the arrival board showed 15 canceled arrivals and 17 canceled departures to and from airports all over the nation.

FAA officials said the trainee had not been to the facility since March 17. Health officials are working to determine how many personnel might have interacted with the trainee.

The ground stop was lifted about 5 pm.

Authorities are working to develop a plan to quickly sanitize and clean the affected areas.

Officials said if any sectors of airspace needed to close during the sanitation process, flights would be rerouted.

This story was originally published March 21, 2020 at 4:50 PM.