Hundreds of Nigerian travellers remain stranded or have been compelled to reschedule their travel plans following widespread flight disruptions in the United States (U.S) triggered by a nationwide air traffic control ground stop last Friday.

The disruption, which affected thousands of flights across the U.S, has continued to negatively impact international aviation operations, leaving passengers travelling from Nigeria to the U.S, as well as those scheduled to fly from the U.S to Nigeria, facing delays, cancellations and uncertainty.

The Guardian learnt that several Nigerian passengers scheduled to travel to the U.S over the weekend could not do so as planned, with some having to postpone their trips until airlines could restore their operations.

A passenger, Bukola Sonala told The Guardian, said she was forced to change her travel date after she could not board her United Airlines flight on Saturday as originally scheduled.

Sonala, however, said the airline had contacted her through one of the media channels to notify her of the disruption and the need to make alternative travel arrangements.

She said: “I was scheduled to travel out of Nigeria for a business meeting on Saturday, but I received an email from United Airlines prior to Saturday informing me of the disruption. I was advised to reschedule my flight, which I did immediately.”

Another passenger, who simply identified himself to The Guardian as Charles, said he was scheduled to travel with one of the foreign airlines to the U.S. last weekend, but could not do so as planned.

According to Charles, the U.S flight disruption had affected his plan to travel. He was however silent on his reschedule plan.

Also, the development has affected many passengers travelling from the U.S to Nigeria, particularly those booked on international services connecting major American cities with Lagos and Abuja as their destinations.

Some of the foreign airlines that operate to the U.S from Nigeria are Qatar Airways, Turkish Airlines, Ethiopian Airlines, Emirates, Virgin Atlantic and British Airways, among others.

Although the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) lifted the nationwide ground stop on Friday evening, airlines have continued to grapple with operational challenges arising from the disruption, including the repositioning of aircraft and flight crews.

These include Qatar Airways, Ethiopian Airlines, Emirates, Virgin Atlantic and British Airways, among others.

A search on the website of Delta Air Lines yesterday by The Guardian, showed an update issued on Saturday by the airline.

The airline said its teams were working to restore normal operations following the FAA-mandated ground stop, which lasted more than four hours.

The airline stated that passengers scheduled to travel between November 13 and 15, 2026, could change their bookings without additional charges.

It also encouraged customers with flexible travel arrangements to move their flights to Monday, November 16 or later, warning that passengers travelling over the weekend should expect delays and further schedule adjustments.

The airline said: “Delta continues to restore operations following an FAA-mandated nationwide ground stop that lasted more than four hours on Friday, November 13. Customers traveling today (Friday) should expect delays and additional schedule adjustments as we work to reposition flight crews and aircraft.

“Taking care of customers remains our focus, and we continue to offer flexible rebooking options to change flights at no extra cost. Customers who have flexible travel plans are encouraged to move their flights to Monday, Nov. 16 or later.

“If you are traveling on Saturday, please allow extra time and check the Delta app or delta.com for the latest flight status and travel information. Delta will provide customers with as much notice as possible about changes to flight schedules. When a cancellation does occur, Delta will automatically rebook customers to the next best itinerary.”

ALSO, United Airlines said most of its flights over the weekend were operating normally, although some services would continue to experience delays and cancellations as the carrier worked to reposition aircraft and crews.

The airline urged passengers to check their flight status through its website or mobile application before proceeding to the airport.

It also said its travel waiver would allow affected customers to change their travel plans over the weekend.

The disruptions followed a nationwide ground stop imposed by the FAA on Friday after instability in air traffic control radar and communications systems affected flight operations across the United States.

According to reports, the outage resulted in the cancellation of nearly 10,000 flights, with tens of thousands of passengers stranded at airports across the country.

U.S Transportation Secretary, Sean Duffy, said the nationwide restriction was lifted at 8:15 p.m. Eastern Time on Friday, but cautioned that it would take time for airlines to return to normal operations.

He attributed the disruption to instability in communications infrastructure at air traffic control centres, explaining that overloaded switches and routers produced inconsistencies in data transmission. (The Guardian)

•Passengers wait for updates at a check-in area at Terminal 7 at Los Angeles International Airport, in Los Angeles on November 13, 2026