FAA Flight Halt Disrupts AFM and Governors Awards Travel
A nationwide stoppage of U.S. flights on Friday stranded dealmakers and stars ahead of the American Film Market and the Governors Awards.
The Federal Aviation Administration halted all U.S. flights on Friday at around 1 p.m. PT, disrupting travel for Hollywood executives, agents and stars headed to the American Film Market and the Governors Awards, according to Variety.
The FAA lifted the nationwide stoppage about four hours later, around 6 p.m. PT, but the window was enough to throw industry schedules into disarray. Neon's Ryan Werner, president of global cinema, said he was unsure whether he could reach AFM on Saturday for the studio's party.
An agency source said staff scrambled to see if anyone could still attend Saturday's Governors Awards at the Dolby Ballroom at Ovation Hollywood.
The FAA attributed the pause to extraordinary circumstances and safety reasons. Department of Homeland Security official Markwayne Mullin later cited a telecommunications outage and said there was no indication of a nefarious attack.
FYC panels were also affected by the stoppage, which grounded travelers across the country during a crowded weekend on the industry calendar.
Quick answers
When did the FAA halt all U.S. flights?
The FAA halted all U.S. flights on Friday at around 1 p.m. PT.
When were flights allowed to resume?
The FAA lifted the nationwide stoppage about four hours later, around 6 p.m. PT.
What did Homeland Security say caused the stoppage?
Markwayne Mullin cited a telecommunications outage and said there was no indication of a nefarious attack.