The FAA lifted a ground stop at mco airport on Saturday after severe weather moved through the Tampa Bay region. The stop began around 11:30 a.m. and had delayed more than 200 flights by 4:30 p.m., leaving travelers facing a long wait before operations reopened later in the day.
Tampa Bay Weather
The disruption tracked with a band of showers and thunderstorms expected to move across the Tampa Bay area on Saturday afternoon and evening. A tornado watch remained in place for Hillsborough, Pasco and Pinellas counties until 6 p.m., keeping the airport under weather pressure even as the stop was set to expire at 6:30 p.m. with a medium probability of extension.
FAA Timeline
According to the FAA, the ground stop went into effect around 11:30 a.m. and was scheduled to end at 6:30 p.m. By 9:21 p.m., the stop had been lifted and no active airport events were listed for Tampa International Airport.
Travelers At Tampa
For passengers, the practical change was the shift from a suspended departure flow to a reopened airport later Saturday, after delays built through the afternoon. The count of delayed flights passed more than 200 by 4:30 p.m., so travelers arriving or connecting through Tampa had to work from revised schedules rather than the original plans they had earlier in the day.
