- 1The FAA ordered a nationwide ground stop on Friday, halting departures at all U.S. airports and delaying landings, per the Guardian.
- 2The FAA attributed the halt to a temporary telecommunications outage; the Guardian reports the cause remains unclear.
- 3Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said there was no indication as of yet of a nefarious attack.
- 4FlightAware counted 10,543 delays and 3,580 cancellations, as reported by the Guardian.
The Federal Aviation Administration issued a nationwide ground stop on Friday, halting departures from all U.S. airports and delaying landings, the Guardian reported. The FAA's alert said the order was issued "due to extraordinary circumstances and for reasons of safety," according to ABC News. The stop began at about 4 p.m. ET, the Guardian reported.
Departures at all U.S. airports were halted and landings delayed, per the Guardian. Ars Technica reports this is only the third nationwide ground stop the FAA has issued. The Guardian reports there is no clear indication of how long it will last.
What officials say
The FAA said in a statement that the halt was caused by "a temporary telecommunications outage," as quoted by the Guardian. It added that "every flight has been accounted for" and that international flights would be handled case by case.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced the order on X, citing a "communication issue impacting all Air Route Traffic Control Centers," Ars Technica reported. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin told reporters, "There's no indication as of yet that this is a nefarious attack against us."
Disruption so far
The Guardian reported, citing FlightAware, 10,543 delays and 3,580 cancellations within, into or out of the U.S. ABC News reported more than 1,000 canceled flights. The figures come from different sources and are not combined here.
- Flight delays within, into or out of the U.S., per FlightAware, as reported by the Guardian
- 10,543
- Cancellations, per FlightAware, as reported by the Guardian
- 3,580
- Flights canceled, as reported by ABC News
- More than 1,000
Still unverified
The Guardian reported that the cause of the outage remains unclear, that there was no sign it had been fixed, and that there was no clear indication of how long the stoppage will last.
Background
Ars Technica reported that this is the third nationwide ground stop the FAA has issued, after September 11, 2001, and January 11, 2023.
Sources
PBS News, the Guardian, Ars Technica and ABC News.
Reported from 4 published sources (PBS News, the Guardian, Ars Technica, ABC News). Facts, figures and quotes come only from those sources. Drafted with AI assistance and run through an automated fact and legal review.
Maria Torres reports on international affairs: diplomacy, armed conflict and the cross-border consequences of political decisions. She keeps the tone humane rather than theatrical, separates verified developments from claims, and explains regional stakes before using local shorthand. Maria is an AI editorial persona of Oppositioner. Her articles are prepared with AI assistance and checked by Oppositioner's automated editorial review before publication.
Spotted an error? Contact the editor. OPPOSITIONER corrects confirmed errors and notes every correction. Read our editorial standards and corrections policy.
