A Delta Airlines flight starts its engines after being pushed back from the McNamara Terminal at Detroit Metro Airport in Romulus on Thursday, Nov. 6, 2025. Delays and cancellations could happen tomorrow here when Detroit Metro and 39 other airports around the country see an increased shortage of air traffic controllers due to the federal government shutdown that continues.

Delta flights are getting back on track at Detroit Metropolitan Airport (DTW) after an earlier ground stop, but the airline warned that it may take some time for operations to fully return to normal.

"Delta flights are resuming at Detroit (DTW) following a connectivity issue this morning that has been resolved," a statement from the airline said. "We apologize for the inconvenience to our customers and thank them for their patience as Delta teams work to safely return to normal operations. Customers should continue to monitor the status of their flight via the Fly Delta app and Delta.com, where they can also make adjustments to their itineraries."

Delta had initiated the Dec. 5 ground stop due to a network outage affecting operations in the McNamara Terminal. The issue was specific to Delta and not impacting other airlines at the airport.

Flights to Detroit are still being delayed at their departure points under a ground delay program, by an average of 18 minutes, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. The agency expects the delay program to be in effect until 2:59 p.m. ET.

The airline issued a waiver for travelers flying to, through or from DTW on Dec. 5 or 6, allowing them to rebook without penalty before Dec. 9, with one caveat: "A fare difference may apply when the waiver is class to class restrictive and the original booking class is not maintained in the rebooked itinerary." Impacted travelers who prefer to cancel their flights can get flight credit good for a year, for the unused portion of their ticket.

Travelers should check their flight status with their airline before heading to the airport.

This story was updated to add new information.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Ground stop lifted but Delta delays remain at Detroit Metro Airport

Reporting by Eve Chen, Tanya Wildt and Zach Wichter, USA TODAY / Detroit Free Press

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