Why FAA says it issued a ground stop for airports nationwide

According to the advisory from the FAA, all aircraft operators were told that airports were ground stopped and all departing traffic should remain grounded "until further notice."

The Details

• By Alex Dvorak
• Published 1 hour ago
• Updated 9 minutes ago

The Federal Aviation Administration released a new statement following a rare ground stop issued at all airports across the country.

In its original alert, the FAA said the ground stop was issued "due to extraordinary circumstances and for reasons of safety."

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In a newer statement, the agency said the alert followed "communication issues impacting multiple Air Route Traffic Control Centers."

"FAA technicians are investigating the issue. We will provide updates," the FAA said in its statement.

In a later message, the FAA said the issue stemmed from "a temporary telecommunications outage."

"Out of an abundance of caution all flights have been halted. Every flight has been accounted for and international flights will be handled on a case by case basis," the statement read.

A nationwide ground stop is exceptionally rare, experts say, with only one other such alert issued since 9/11. That ground stop took place in 2023, when the FAA suffered an outage of the system that sends messages to pilots.

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More than 250 flights delayed at O'Hare, Midway amid nationwide FAA ground stop According to the advisory from the FAA Friday, all aircraft operators were told "by order of the Federal Aviation Command Center" that airports were ground stopped and all departing traffic should remain grounded "until further notice."

"Inbound flights will be managed on a case by case basis," the alert stated.

Moments earlier, both major airports in Chicago were listed under a ground stop due to an "equipment outage." It remained unclear if that outage was connected to the ground stop, however.

U.S. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy confirmed the ground stop, saying it was under investigation.

@FAAnews 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. — Secretary Sean Duffy (@SecDuffy)

U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin Mullin said there was "no indication as of yet that this was a nefarious attack against us."

"We were wanting to assure all the American people this isn't a safety to the American people or another 9/11," Mullin said. "I think that's what a lot of people are trying to make the comparison to, and that's not the case."

More than 200 flights were delayed at Chicago's airports Friday afternoon.

As of 3:11 p.m., the Chicago Department of Aviation reported 213 delays at O'Hare International Airport and another 55 at Midway International Airport.

Former United Airlines pilot and aviation expert Steve Arroyo said the problem appeared similar to a regional air traffic control communication outage in September that snarled hundreds of flights across the Northeast, except this time on a nationwide scale.

Arroyo said it could be linked to the outdated technology used by air traffic controllers.

“If you don’t have that ability, whether it’s because the old wires that they have are just run down or for whatever reason, you’ve got to stop airplanes on the ground,” said Arroyo. “And not put them in the air where you’re going to risk not being able to communicate with them.”

Check back for more on this developing story.

The Associated Press contributed this report.