AEW Full Gear 2026 could face significant travel complications after the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a rare nationwide ground stop on Friday, leaving several wrestlers stranded ahead of Saturday’s pay-per-view in Phoenix, Arizona.
The FAA ordered departing flights across the United States to remain grounded following a communications issue affecting air traffic control. The agency cited safety concerns and “extraordinary circumstances” while technicians worked to investigate the problem and restore normal operations.
According to Bryan Alvarez of F4WOnline.com, several AEW wrestlers had already traveled to Phoenix following this week’s Dynamite and Collision tapings. However, others who had not yet departed were reportedly stranded, raising concerns about whether everyone scheduled for Full Gear would arrive in time. “Regarding the FAA grounding all flights, many AEW wrestlers flew to the PPV straight from Dynamite, but others haven’t left yet and are stranded. The longer this goes the greater the likelihood of major delays and people not making it there at all. There are people who have been told this ground stop may not be lifted until 8 PM tonight which would be a disaster.”
The situation has created uncertainty surrounding Saturday’s event, particularly if the flight restrictions remain in place for an extended period. While some members of the AEW roster are already in Phoenix, delays could affect those still attempting to travel to the city.
Alvarez also addressed the potential impact on WWE, noting that the company’s usual travel arrangements should help prevent disruptions to Friday night’s SmackDown. “WWE usually flies everyone to TV the day prior so SmackDown should be unaffected, but we are trying to find out more.”
WWE’s NXT brand also appears to have avoided immediate complications, with Alvarez confirming that the crew had already arrived for its scheduled Friday night live event before the ground stop took effect. “NXT crew all made it in for their house show before this all went down,” Alvarez noted.
The NXT Holiday Live Tour is scheduled to feature three events this weekend, beginning Friday in Cleveland, Ohio, before continuing Saturday in Detroit, Michigan, and Sunday in Chicago, Illinois. Bayley is advertised for the Cleveland and Detroit events, while CM Punk is scheduled to appear in Detroit and Chicago.
Meanwhile, TNA Wrestling could also face travel-related challenges ahead of Sunday’s Destination X pay-per-view in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
With much of the promotion’s talent and personnel reportedly scheduled to travel on Saturday, an extended disruption to air travel could create additional complications for the event. “Most everyone working Destination X should be flying in tomorrow, so if this lasts the expected six hours it could conceivably heavily affect that show,” Alvarez wrote.
At this stage, there has been no confirmation that any matches or appearances at AEW Full Gear, WWE’s scheduled events, or TNA Destination X will be canceled or changed because of the flight disruptions.
However, with several major wrestling events scheduled over the weekend, the duration of the FAA ground stop could prove significant, particularly for AEW talent still attempting to reach Phoenix ahead of Saturday’s pay-per-view.
