Actors Tyriq Withers and Daniel Kaluuya found themselves stranded at Eugene Airport in Oregon on Friday during a nationwide Federal Aviation Administration ground stop.
The two actors were among an estimated 1.5 million travelers whose travel plans were halted when the Federal Aviation Administration issued a nationwide ground stop for all departing aircraft at U.S. airports. Withers and Kaluuya had already boarded their Los Angeles-bound flight before being ordered to deplane.
The transportation disruption stemmed from communications and radar issues affecting regional air traffic control centers. FlightRadar24 counted more than 6,600 canceled flights and 8,600 delays during the four-hour shutdown, which was the longest nationwide shutdown since September 11, 2001. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said that router and switch equipment had become overloaded with data.
While waiting inside the terminal, Withers and Kaluuya spoke with Gold Meadows, a reporter for CBS affiliate KVAL News, turning their travel delay into an unexpected internet moment. Withers referenced a viral 2015 local news interview featuring a partygoer outside the now-shuttered Bella Noche nightclub in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, adapting the line to fit their aviation predicament.
Withers, whose career includes a guest role on Atlanta and appearances in the 2025 films I Know What You Did Last Summer and Him alongside leading roles in Reminders of Him and the upcoming rom-com Love, brought a lighthearted tone to the broadcast.
“I just want to thank God for FAA really protecting us, post-blue wave as well,” Withers quipped, referencing the Democratic Party’s midterm wins earlier in November. He then delivered his adaptation of the internet meme:
“But I really feel like, you know, it’s really upsetting me and my homegirl. ‘Cause if you can’t go to the airport, where the hell can you go?” said Withers.
Kaluuya stepped out of the camera frame laughing at his co-star’s delivery before offering a more reflective perspective on the sudden grounding. Kaluuya is an English actor, writer, and producer known for his work in Get Out, which earned him a best actor Oscar nomination in 2017, and Judas and the Black Messiah, for which he won the Oscar for best supporting actor in 2021.
“It’s an inconvenience, but I feel grateful,” Kaluuya said. “I feel grateful because it could have happened any other way. I mean, think about how many lives were probably saved because of that decision.”
The interview concluded with Withers suggesting they make an O shape with their hands as a tribute to the local area and the University of Oregon sports teams, prompting Kaluuya to raise his hands and add, “O way or no way.”
The Federal Aviation Administration lifted the nationwide ground stop at approximately 8:15 p.m. ET on Friday evening, allowing departures to resume gradually. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy shared an update early Saturday morning on X, noting that operations were slowly returning to normal as aircraft pushed back and took off.
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said that authorities had seen zero evidence pointing toward a cyberattack, noting it appears the issue was mechanically driven. Meanwhile, airlines continued working through the recovery process to clear residual flight delays and accommodate stranded passengers.
Other notable figures also found themselves caught in the nationwide transportation halt, including Brooks Nader, who was stranded aboard a private jet on the tarmac while attempting to travel to an LSU football game in Louisiana.