On Monday 12 October 2026, the FAA issued a ground stop for flights bound for Phoenix Sky Harbor (PHX) because of thunderstorms. KTAR reported the order covered departures to Arizona’s largest airport from a swath of the Southwest and Midwest — including Los Angeles, Denver, St. Louis and Houston — and was set to run from 10:51 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. local time. As of 11 a.m., the Sky Harbor site showed about 142 delays and five cancellations for the day. This is a new storm day after Sunday’s wind / dust-wall ground stop already covered.
What travellers saw
When PHX is gated for thunderstorms, inbound banks from multiple hubs compress once the stop lifts, and residual weather metering can linger. Carriers and the airport site remain the source of truth for individual flights; desert cells can re-trigger holds as storms rebuild.
If the schedule is critical
If you cannot wait for the weather program and residual delays to clear, a private jet or empty leg into an alternate Arizona field may be workable once the airspace reopens. Rahizi qualifies the brief and returns partner options.
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Facts from KTAR News and Azcentral / The Arizona Republic coverage of the FAA ground stop on 12 October 2026. Always verify with your carrier.