Ground stop at Bush Airport lasts until 1 p.m. due to severe storms

(HOUSTON) The Federal Aviation Administration ordered a ground stop at George Bush Intercontinental Airport on Sunday, August 31, 2025, as severe storms rolled across the Houston area, pausing certain departures until early afternoon. The ground stop remained in place until 1 p.m. local time, with the FAA citing a 30–60% chance that the weather could continue to affect operations during that window. While arrivals already in the air could land if conditions allowed, the pause was designed to keep aircraft from taking off toward an airfield facing rapidly changing weather.

By early afternoon, the ground stop had lifted, but delays lingered. As of the latest official updates, Bush Airport was seeing departure delays of 16 to 30 minutes and increasing, driven by a blend of high traffic volume and residual weather effects. Airport officials urged passengers to keep checking with their airlines because conditions and schedules can shift quickly in active summer systems. For the latest national airspace updates, travelers can review the FAA’s status dashboard at the official government site: nasstatus.faa.gov.

Status and immediate effects

The storms that triggered the ground stop are common in late summer and can create fast-moving safety hazards on runways and in the air.

The FAA’s toolkit for these moments includes holding flights at their origin when an airport is hit with low visibility, lightning, or wind shifts that make safe arrivals and departures unpredictable. Following the ground stop at George Bush Intercontinental Airport, airlines reshuffled flight plans, and crews waited for safe operational windows before pushing back.

This latest pause landed on the heels of a turbulent August for the Houston hub. Earlier this month, a nationwide United Airlines technology outage temporarily grounded all United mainline flights, including those at Bush Airport. According to operational tallies from that day, more than 800 United flights were delayed and two dozen were canceled across the country, adding stress to systems that can take days to rebalance.

In addition, equipment issues at other large hubs—most notably Newark—created knock-on delays that reached Houston. This is a reminder that large network disruptions often ripple far beyond a single airport.

For travelers, a ground stop can mean gate holds, extended taxi times once departures resume, and missed connections. It can also mean cancellations when storms stall longer than expected or when crew time limits run into the end of a duty day.

Families on international trips, workers rushing to job site rotations, and students heading to campuses often feel the squeeze most—especially when they have tight layovers or only one daily flight to their final destination.

What travelers should do

When storms push the FAA to issue a ground stop, the best move is to stay close to official channels and prepare for changes.

• Check flight status often through:
  • Your airline’s app or website
  • The Houston Airport System’s alert page: fly2houston.com/iah/alerts
  • Tracking tools like FlightAware
• Contact your airline for rebooking, refunds, or alternate routes if your plans fall apart. Airlines often waive change fees during weather-related disruptions.
• Build extra time into your day. Expect longer lines at check-in, security, and customer service desks as staff handle a surge of questions.
• Keep records. Save emails, messages, and receipts—this can help when requesting reimbursement under airline policies. This practice is widely echoed by travel and immigration news outlets, including VisaVerge.com.

If you’re connecting through Houston on an international itinerary, watch the clock closely. A delay of 30 minutes can erase a short layover, and longer holds can force an overnight.

• Options depend on seat availability and airline policy:
  1. Switch to later partner flights.
  2. Connect through different hubs.
  3. Request overnight accommodations if necessary.
• Parents traveling with children, elders needing wheelchair service, and new immigrants arriving on long-haul flights should factor in extra time for customs and rebooking queues.

Wider context and ongoing challenges

Bush Airport is one of the country’s busiest hubs and a cornerstone for United Airlines, with long domestic and international networks. In storm season, the FAA frequently slows or halts departures briefly to protect crews and passengers while thunderstorms pass. Houston’s location also makes it vulnerable to fast-building cells and, later in the season, tropical systems. The goal is straightforward: keep runways safe and keep aircraft out of harm’s way.

Infrastructure work adds another layer of complexity.

• The Terminal B Transformation Project (running from January 2025 through late 2026) is reshaping parts of the airport.
• Construction-related changes, combined with weather and volume, can create chokepoints where lines grow and movement between areas takes longer.
• Earlier this year, the new Terminal E Ticketing Lobby opened, improving capacity, but large projects can still affect travel flow during peak times.

Officials say they continue to refine playbooks for summer storms and other disruptions. When systems are stretched—by weather, technology glitches, or equipment issues at other hubs—schedules can buckle. Airlines and the airport coordinate closely with the FAA to sequence departures and arrivals, matching traffic to safe operating limits. That coordination helps prevent airborne queues and runway conflicts while storms pass.

A well-timed ground stop, though frustrating, is one of the tools that keeps those limits in check.

If conditions worsen again or new cells build, the FAA could add further traffic management steps. These can include:

• Additional ground delays
• Miles-in-trail spacing between aircraft
• Speed adjustments in cruise

The FAA provides an overview of nationwide actions and airport-specific programs on its official dashboard at nasstatus.faa.gov. Those listings refresh throughout the day and pair well with airline apps, which show seat availability and rebooking choices.

According to analysis by VisaVerge.com, documenting conversations and keeping receipts can help travelers later if they seek refunds for extra costs tied to disrupted trips, depending on airline rules. That guidance aligns with broader passenger advocacy advice cited by airport and industry sources during weather events.

While weather is outside an airline’s control, many carriers still offer no-penalty changes and fee waivers during severe storms, and some provide meal or hotel vouchers in limited cases based on company policy.

Practical tips and final takeaway

Bush Airport continues to direct travelers to official channels for real-time notices. The Houston Airport System’s alerts page lists operational changes and construction updates, helping people plan their route to terminals and choose the best drop-off points while work proceeds.

• Use flight tracking platforms to see inbound aircraft status—if your plane is coming from a city facing storms or congestion, delays may build before boarding starts.
• Keep your phone charged and airline apps logged in.
• Check gate monitors often for last-minute gate changes.
• If you must rebook, look for same-day options first, but watch overnight possibilities in case storms regenerate.
• Travelers with special needs or complex itineraries should head to staffed counters early; agents often have more options than apps in unusual cases.

The bottom line for Sunday: the ground stop at George Bush Intercontinental Airport ended at 1 p.m., but delays persisted as crews and controllers worked through a backlog and watched conditions evolve. With summer storms still in the forecast, travelers should stay flexible, keep close to official information, and prepare backup plans in case schedules shift again.