Passengers aboard a Southwest Airlines flight traveling from Los Angeles to Orlando on Friday witnessed an unusual in-flight entertainment event. Three prominent rock bands from the early 2000s performed live in the cabin aisle just before the aircraft departed. The flight left Los Angeles International Airport moments before the Federal Aviation Administration announced a rare nationwide ground stop that halted all US departures for more than four hours.
Hoobastank, Simple Plan, and The Used Perform Aboard
Video footage shared by passengers on social media shows the cabin lights dimmed as the bands took turns performing. Hoobastank frontman Doug Robb sang the band’s 2004 hit “The Reason.” Simple Plan followed with performances of “Perfect” and “I’m Just a Kid.” The Used closed the set with “The Taste of Ink.” Passengers were seen singing along, raising their arms, and recording the event on their mobile devices.
All three groups were scheduled to appear at the Vans Warped Tour festival in Orlando later that weekend. Southwest Airlines serves as an event sponsor for the festival. Hoobastank later reposted several passenger videos to its Instagram Stories. One clip from singer LØLØ included the caption, “Every plane was grounded today, but the emo gods made sure this one flew.”
It remains unclear whether the performances were pre-planned or spontaneous. Southwest is listed as the Preferred Airline Partner of Vans Warped Tour. The festival website mentions the airline’s “Live at 35” program, which features pop-up performances on flights. The program aims to bring a unique concert experience to passengers at cruising altitude.
FAA Ground Stop Halts US Departures
The timing of the departure coincided with a major disruption in US air travel. At 3:54 PM ET, the FAA issued a nationwide ground stop due to a temporary telecommunications outage. The order remained in effect until approximately 8:15 PM ET. This was the longest nationwide ground stop in 25 years and only the second since the September 11 attacks.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy stated that aging air traffic control routers became overloaded with data. Other officials suggested that new technology installations overwhelmed older equipment. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin confirmed there was no evidence of a cyberattack or terrorist threat. Aircraft already in the air were permitted to continue to their destinations.
History of In-Flight Performances
Southwest launched its Live at 35 program in 2011. The initiative brings musicians onboard to perform for passengers during flights. The program celebrated its 100th concert in October 2024 with a performance by Liz Rose on a flight from Nashville to Miami. That flight carried fans to Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour.
In June, the airline marked 15 years of the initiative with a performance by Plain White T’s. A Southwest spokesperson previously stated that each onboard performance lasts about 10 minutes. Other notable acts include Bowling For Soup, who performed on a flight to Las Vegas in July, and reggae artist Julian Marley, who played on a sold-out flight from Orlando to Montego Bay.
Southwest has indicated plans to hold more of these onboard events in the coming months. Several performances have already taken place since the 15th anniversary announcement. The airline did not immediately respond to requests for comment regarding the specific flight on Friday.
Source: Simple Flying
