The Federal Aviation Administration ordered a rare nationwide ground stop for departing flights on Friday afternoon after communications problems affected its regional Air Route Traffic Control Centers.
The directive, issued by the FAA's Air Traffic Control System Command Center, ordered all departing traffic at US airports to remain on the ground until further notice, citing "extraordinary circumstances and for reasons of safety".
"There has been a temporary telecommunications outage — out of an abundance of caution all flights have been halted," the FAA posted on X. "Every flight has been accounted for and international flights will be handled on a case-by-case basis."
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the communications problem affected all 22 of the nation's Air Route Traffic Control Centers — the regional facilities that direct aircraft primarily while they are flying between airport terminal areas. He said that FAA technicians are investigating.
"The FAA issued a nationwide ground stop for all US airports following a communication issue impacting all Air Route Traffic Control Centers," Duffy posted on X. "FAA technicians are investigating the issue. We will provide immediate updates as we have them."
As a result, thousands of departing flights were held at gates and on tarmacs across the country. Early estimates totaled about 8,000 delays. Planes already airborne were permitted to continue to their destinations. Inbound international flights are being managed on a case-by-case basis.
Friday's order marked the first nationwide ground stop since January 2023, when a malfunction in the FAA's Notice to Air Missions system prompted a nationwide halt to flight departures.
Passengers scheduled to fly on Friday evening are advised to monitor the FAA's National Airspace System Status portal and check directly with their airlines for rebooking options and updated departure times.
