Outside of the Bills’ lone loss to the New England Patriots, nothing so far this season has been able to derail the Buffalo juggernaut. The Bills look to raise their record to 8-1 Sunday when they travel to MetLife Stadium to face the New York Jets.
But there finally may be an obstacle for the Bills. Not from the Jets — from the Federal Aviation Administration.
The Buffalo Bills’ road trip to the New York Jets now runs into a nationwide FAA ground stop, with kickoff less than two days away.
Buffalo has not said when its charter leaves, and a stop with no announced end raises the question of whether Saturday becomes the real deadline.
The Federal Aviation Administration ordered every departing flight in the country to stay put starting around 3:54 p.m. ET, according to Clash Report. Arrivals may still land, as planes already airborne are continuing to their destinations, according to CNN.
A communications problem at the 22 Air Route Traffic Control Centers, which guide planes between airports, triggered the stop, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said, according to WBAL.
“FAA technicians are investigating the issue,” Duffy wrote in a statement, as quoted by WFTV. The halt is the first of its kind since January 2023. Early reports indicate that the communications issue was not the result of a cyberattack, according to The Contrail.
Buffalo Bills Travel Plans for the Jets Game
The Bills (7-1) visit the Jets (2-7) at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., at 1 p.m. ET Sunday. The trip covers 278 miles, a short hop by NFL standards. The Jets play at home and obviously face no air travel at all, so Buffalo carries the entire schedule risk in this matchup.
The team has released no departure time for its charter. NFL clubs typically fly out Friday evening or Saturday morning before Sunday road games. Buffalo Niagara International Airport confirmed the ground stop affects its flights, the airport posted on social media, and told travelers to check with their airlines.
A bus ride would cover the less-than-300-mile distance if the Bills cannot fly, though teams prefer charters. Once departures resume, the flight itself is brief, which limits how much a late start could cost the team. A Saturday departure would still put the Bills in New Jersey with a full night before kickoff. As of 5:20 p.m. ET, no report has Buffalo stranded, delayed or changing its plans.
Could the Bills-Jets or Other NFL Games Be Delayed?
No NFL game has yet been delayed or postponed because of the stop, and that includes the Bills-Jets kickoff. The one game outside the country is already set. The New England Patriots and Detroit Lions are in Germany for their 9:30 a.m. ET Sunday kickoff in Munich, according to Patriots.com, and NFL reporter Mark Maske noted that no team’s Sunday plans look beyond repair so far.
The Carolina Panthers, who visit the New Orleans Saints at 1 p.m. ET Sunday, and every other road team face the same clock as Buffalo. Most road teams fly Saturday, so a lift overnight or Saturday morning leaves ample time to adjust if needed. A stop that stretches deep into Saturday would put several clubs at risk, including Buffalo. College football programs, many of which traveled Friday for Saturday games, already feel the effects.
Backlogs are already building. Hundreds of flights sat stalled at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, according to FOX 5 Atlanta, and delays at O’Hare and Midway topped 200 flights, according to NBC Chicago. Queues of those lengths take hours to clear after departures resume, so a Friday night lift of the ground stop would not guarantee an on-time Saturday schedule for every club.
The last nationwide stop, in January 2023, lasted about 90 minutes, according to News On 6, though delays lingered afterward. Some advisories list a window ending near 11 p.m. ET, but the order itself runs until further notice, according to USA Today. No end time has been announced.
The FAA has not said when departures resume. Buffalo’s charter, and every other Sunday road team’s, waits on that answer.
Will Bills-Jets Game Be Delayed Sunday? Latest on FAA Ground Stop