Radio transmissions between active pilots and air traffic controllers at major airports offer a peek at how they navigated the Federal Aviation Administration’s nationwide ground stoppage on Friday.
An air traffic controller at Newark Liberty International Airport can be heard sharing the news with pilots.
Minutes later, at airports in Atlanta and Chicago, controllers said they had limited information.
As planes landed over the next hour and departures were stuck at their gates, air traffic controllers can be heard talking about significant gate issues and comparing the tarmac to a “parking lot.”
Amid the chaos, one pilot noted the date while talking to a Newark controller: “It’s not lost on me that it’s Friday the 13th.”
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