The Kansas City Current remain grounded in Kansas City after the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a nationwide ground stop ahead of their NWSL semifinal match against Gotham FC on Sunday, November 15. The team had not taken off as of Friday evening, forcing a delay in their travel plans.
ESPN reporter Jeff Kassouf reported on November 13 that the Current were still in Kansas City and planned to fly into the New York area on Saturday night once the ground stop was lifted. The team confirmed the disruption in a statement to Kassouf, saying, "Our flight was impacted by the Federal Aviation Administration's nationwide ground stoppage. We are collaborating with key stakeholders, including the NWSL and our charter partner, to identify next steps in order to arrive safely ahead of our match against Gotham FC on Sunday."
The FAA had suspended all flights around 4 p.m. ET due to technical failures in their control systems, which prevented communication with Air Route Traffic Control Centers nationwide. The ground stop lasted roughly four hours and was lifted at about 8:30 p.m. ET. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy explained that the stoppage was initiated because of the failure in air traffic control communications.
The disruption affected several other sports teams traveling for major events. College football teams from Baylor and Kansas State were grounded, and USC's women's basketball team was stuck in Los Angeles before a significant game against South Carolina.
Gotham FC’s semifinal versus the Current will take place at Icahn Stadium, a 5,000-seat venue, after poor field conditions at Sports Illustrated Stadium forced the change. Sports Illustrated Stadium is Gotham FC’s usual home ground, shared with Major League Soccer's New York Red Bulls.
The other semifinal sees the Utah Royals against the Washington Spirit on Saturday, November 14. The Royals had already arrived safely in the Washington, D.C. area, unaffected by the FAA ground stop.
The Current's travel delay came at a critical moment with the semifinal set for Sunday afternoon. The team’s efforts to reschedule and safely complete the trip will be closely watched as the NWSL playoffs continue. No further updates have been released by the Current or the league regarding the exact timing of their arrival or any adjustments to the match schedule.
According to Yahoo Sports.
