FAA issues nationwide ground stop for all US flights

The US Federal Aviation Administration issued a nationwide ground stop on Friday, halting all departing aircraft traffic until further notice. The agency said the sweeping restrictions were imposed “due to extraordinary circumstances and for reasons of safety.”

The action followed earlier reports of serious air traffic control communications issues. Shortly before the nationwide announcement, the FAA halted traffic in Chicago due to air traffic control communications issues. International flights arriving in the United States will be managed on a case-by-case basis.

The FAA did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Friday was the second nationwide ground stop of all departures since the September 11, 2001, attacks. The other happened in January 2023, when the FAA paused all domestic departures for less than two hours.

Last year, Congress approved $12.5 billion to fix the FAA’s aging communications system, and on Friday the FAA and White House asked Congress for another $30.1 billion to address other issues.

The nationwide directive was issued by the FAA’s Air Traffic Control System Command Center, which oversees traffic management across the American aviation network. An advisory circulating Friday afternoon instructed aircraft operators to keep departing traffic grounded and said international arrivals would be managed on a case-by-case basis.

A separate advisory concerning Chicago O’Hare International Airport identified an equipment outage and communications issues as reasons for a ground stop affecting departures from multiple air traffic control regions.

Aircraft already airborne were being permitted to continue toward their destinations, while new departures were being stopped. The restrictions threaten to disrupt flight schedules throughout the United States, with delays potentially continuing after the order is lifted as airlines attempt to reposition aircraft and crews. Canadian travellers could also face disruptions, particularly those booked on flights to American destinations or connecting through major US airports. Passengers are being advised to check directly with their airlines before travelling to airports.

The FAA had not provided a confirmed timeline for restoring normal operations in the initial reports. The precise cause and full extent of the equipment problems had also not been independently established. The incident remains a developing situation.

Sources

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