MORRISVILLE, N.C. (WTVD) — Travelers at Raleigh-Durham International Airport faced widespread disruption after an FAA ground stop caused delays and cancellations, including one international traveler whose flight to Rome, Italy, was canceled. An RDU spokesperson told ABC!! that a contractor cut a fiber optic line near the FAA tower during a plumbing repair, causing the outage. The tower was later put back into operation. Bill Hunt of Cary said he was under pressure to find another way to get to Europe in time for an important business meeting scheduled for the next morning. “It’s a disaster,” Hunt said. After his flight was canceled, Hunt said he worked quickly to secure a seat on another international flight and arrange transportation to a different airport. “It’s not what you want, but, you know, it’s not two hours, it’s not three hours,” Haney said. Airport operations were significantly impacted, with 212 delays reported at RDU Airport as of Monday afternoon. There were nine cancellations. Download the ABC11 News appCopyright © 2026 WTVD-TV. All rights reserved.
