FAA Issues Nationwide Ground Stop for All US Departing Flights

The Federal Aviation Administration on Friday afternoon halted all departing flights at airports across the United States, citing unspecified “extraordinary circumstances,” in a rare nationwide ground stop that followed serious air traffic control communications problems.

The FAA notice said the stop was being imposed “due to extraordinary circumstances and for reasons of safety,” but offered no explanation of what prompted it, The Associated Press said.

“All departing traffic should remain ground-stopped until further notice,” the agency said, according to NBC News. The FAA added that “inbound international flights will be managed on a case by case basis.”

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said in an online post that the agency’s specialists were looking into the problem. “FAA technicians are investigating the issue,” he wrote. “We will provide immediate updates as we have them.”

The FAA did not immediately reply to a request for comment, Reuters noted.

Chicago problems preceded national halt

Shortly before the nationwide order, the FAA stopped traffic in Chicago because of air traffic control communications issues, Reuters said. The agency had earlier reported serious communications problems within the air traffic control system.

Officials did not say whether the Chicago disruption was directly linked to the nationwide order or whether other parts of the system were affected.

The halt applies to departures. There was no immediate indication of how many flights or passengers were affected, or how long the stop might last.

Only the second since 9/11

Nationwide ground stops are extremely rare. Friday’s order marks only the second nationwide halt of all departures since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, Reuters said.

After the 2001 attacks, the FAA took the unprecedented step of shutting down all civilian air traffic over the United States, ordering planes already in the air to land at the nearest available airport, NBC News noted.

The most recent nationwide stop came in January 2023, when the FAA paused all domestic departures for under two hours after a failure in its Notice to Air Missions system, known as NOTAM, which alerts pilots to potential hazards.

Funding fight over aging systems

The disruption comes amid long-running concern about the FAA’s aging technology. Congress approved $12.5 billion last year to overhaul the agency’s outdated communications system, Reuters said. On Friday, the FAA and the White House asked lawmakers for an additional $30.1 billion to address other problems.

A system under strain

The absence of any explanation from the FAA is itself significant. Agencies typically disclose at least the general nature of a disruption, such as weather, a technical outage or a security concern. The decision to cite only “extraordinary circumstances” and safety leaves room for speculation, which officials will likely need to address quickly to reassure travelers and airlines.

The available evidence points toward a technical cause. Reuters said the national order followed earlier reports of serious communications issues and a localized halt in Chicago. Duffy’s reference to “technicians” investigating also suggests a systems problem rather than a security threat, though officials have not confirmed any cause and it would be premature to rule anything out.

If a communications failure is confirmed, the episode would sharpen scrutiny of the FAA’s infrastructure. The 2023 NOTAM outage exposed how a single system failure could freeze national air travel. The timing of Friday’s ground stop, on the same day the administration sought another $30.1 billion for upgrades, is likely to intensify debate in Congress over the pace of modernization and whether existing funding has been enough.

The economic and logistical ripple effects could be substantial. Even a brief nationwide departure halt can cascade into widespread delays and cancellations, as aircraft and crews end up out of position. A stop on a Friday afternoon, typically a busy travel period, could extend disruption well into the weekend after flights resume.

For passengers, the immediate impact will depend on how long the stop lasts. Travelers are likely to be advised to check with their airlines before heading to airports.

This is a developing story, and details may change as the FAA releases more information.

Sources: The Associated Press (AP); Reuters; NBC News