Nearly 300 flights were delayed or canceled at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport on Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2026, after the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a ground stop due to low ceilings caused by stormy weather. The ground stop took effect at 6:30 a.m. and ended at about 9 a.m., followed by a departure delay that lasted until the rain cleared.
FAA Ground Stop Procedure and Flight Operations
A ground stop is an air traffic control measure that requires all departing flights to remain on the ground when conditions prevent safe takeoffs or landings. It differs from a ground delay, which restricts flights inbound to the affected
airport from departing other airports. While the FAA can order both ground stops and ground delays, individual airlines decide on flight cancellations.
Flight Delays and Cancellations Impact
As of 2:30 p.m. on Oct. 13, data from FlightAware showed one flight canceled and 292 flights delayed at Phoenix Sky Harbor. Average delays were approximately 30 minutes. Flight departures had been temporarily halted during the FAA’s ground stop and the subsequent departure delay period, affecting airport operations and schedules.
Weather Conditions and Previous Day Disruptions
On Oct. 13, The Weather Channel reported a 70-75% chance of rain in the morning with wind speeds between 5 and 15 mph contributing to adverse flying conditions.
These weather factors resulted in the FAA managing aircraft movements tightly. The previous day, Monday, Oct. 12, saw over 200 flights delayed or canceled at the same airport due to similar weather complications.
Information on this disruption was originally reported by the Arizona Republic. FlightAware provided real-time flight delay and cancellation data, while The Weather Channel supplied weather forecasts referenced in this report.
