Vaz warns of major flight disruptions between Jamaica and US amid FAA ground stop

Flights between Jamaica and the United States have been disrupted following a nationwide ground stop ordered by the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on Friday, with travellers warned to expect significant delays.

Transport Minister Daryl Vaz, who landed at Miami International Airport from Qatar shortly after the restrictions took effect, said departing flights had been halted while arriving aircraft faced difficulty accessing gates.

“Having just landed in Miami from Qatar minutes after the lockdown, I can confirm that there is no departing flights out of Miami International,” Vaz said.

He warned that the lack of available gates for incoming aircraft could compound the disruption.

“There’s no gates for the arriving flights to come into, so there’s going to be major dislocation.”

Vaz said reports received from both airports indicated disruption, specifically noting that flights from Kingston to the United States and incoming services from the US had been affected.

The FAA ordered the nationwide ground stop following communications problems at regional air traffic control centres, according to an Associated Press report.

Vaz said a full report from the FAA was still being sought and further updates would be provided to the public.

“We are unable to get a full report as yet from the FAA, so we will keep the public advised accordingly, but my advice at this point is travel is a problem,” he said.

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