FAA Ground Stop Halts All US Flights Nationwide
The FAA ground stop grounded every departing flight across the United States on Friday after a communications failure hit the air traffic control centres that guide aircraft between airports.
The Federal Aviation Administration issued the stop, citing “extraordinary circumstances” and safety concerns. All aircraft on the ground were ordered to stay put until further notice.
Planes already in the air were allowed to land normally. International flights bound for the United States were handled on a case-by-case basis.
Flight tracking service FlightAware said nearly 7,000 flights were delayed or cancelled because of the halt. Flightradar24 counted 4,042 flights in the air and heading to US airports when the order was issued.
Communications failure hit all 22 control centres
The failure affected all 22 Air Route Traffic Control Centers, the regional facilities that handle flights across the country. Shortly before the nationwide order, the FAA halted traffic in Chicago over the same communications problems.
US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said technicians were working on the problem. “The FAA issued a nationwide ground stop for all U.S. airports following a communication issue impacting all Air Route Traffic Control Centers. FAA technicians are investigating the issue. We will provide immediate updates as we have them,” he said.
The FAA said on X that a temporary telecommunications outage had prompted the halt, and that flights were stopped out of an abundance of caution. It added that every flight had been accounted for.
No sign of an attack, officials say
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin told reporters there was no sign the outage was caused by a hostile act. “We’re wanting to assure all the American people, this isn’t a safety (threat) to the American people or another 9/11,” he said. “There is no prior indication as of yet that this was a nefarious attack against us. It’s just a telecommunication outage as of right now.”
The FBI does not believe a cyberattack or criminal activity caused the failure, Bloomberg reported, citing an official familiar with the matter.
Second nationwide halt since 2001
Friday’s halt was only the second nationwide ground stop of all departures since the September 11, 2001 attacks. The other came on January 11, 2023, when a pilot notification system failed and the FAA paused all domestic departures for less than two hours.
The outage has again drawn attention to the age of US air traffic control equipment. Reuters reported that the system has been strained by equipment failures, communications problems and controller shortages.
Congress approved $12.5 billion for the overhaul last year. On Friday, the FAA and the White House asked lawmakers for another $30.1 billion.
Why the FAA ground stop matters for travellers
A ground stop is an FAA order that stops aircraft from taking off. It does not order planes in the air to land at once, and it does not by itself cancel every flight. But with no departures allowed anywhere, delays build up fast.
The FAA advisory listed the stop from 3:54 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. Eastern Time on Friday, but the order told aircraft to stay grounded until further notice. The agency gave no time for a return to normal operations.
For readers in Pakistan with family or travel plans in the United States, the halt covers every US airport departure. International flights were handled case by case, and passengers were advised to check directly with their airlines for revised departure times.
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Frequently asked questions
What is an FAA ground stop?
A ground stop is an FAA order that stops aircraft from taking off. Planes already in the air are not ordered to land at once.
Why were US flights grounded on Friday?
A communications failure hit all 22 Air Route Traffic Control Centers. The FAA called it a temporary telecommunications outage and stopped all departures out of an abundance of caution.
How many flights were affected?
FlightAware said nearly 7,000 flights were delayed or cancelled. Flightradar24 counted 4,042 flights in the air and heading to US airports when the order was issued.
When will flights resume?
The FAA gave no time for a return to normal operations. Its advisory listed the stop from 3:54 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. Eastern Time on Friday, but the order told aircraft to stay grounded until further notice.
Has this happened before?
Yes, once. Friday’s halt was only the second nationwide ground stop of all departures since the September 11, 2001 attacks. The other came in January 2023, when a pilot notification system failed.
