Ground stop issued at Charleston International Airport, may be due to Chinese spy balloon

UPDATE: FAA lifted the ground stop for Charleston International Airport at 3:15 p.m.

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UPDATE: According to the FAA, the ground stop at Charleston International Airport has been extended until 5:15 p.m.

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CHARLESTON, S.C. (WBTW) — A ground stop was issued at Charleston International Airport Saturday afternoon, according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

The FAA has paused departures to Wilmington (ILM), Myrtle Beach (MYR) and Charleston (CHS) airports to support the Department of Defense in a national security effort.

The FAA cited “national security initiatives” for the shutdown.

The shutdown comes just hours after a suspected Chinese “spy” balloon was spotted floating across the Carolinas.

President Biden said Saturday morning that officials “are going to take care” of the balloon. Biden didn’t go into detail.

The ground stop is in effect until 2:45 p.m., according to the FAA.

News 2 has reached out to officials at Charleston International Airport for more details on the shutdown.