The Federal Aviation Administration issued a rare nationwide ground stop Friday, essentially halting all flight operations, due to an undetermined radio communications issue affecting traffic control centers.
The order means all departing aircraft were ordered to remain on the ground at airports nationwide pending a resolution.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy confirmed the move on X, writing shortly after 1 p.m. Friday, “The (FAA) 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.”
An alert sent to nationwide airports and shared online by the flight-tracking site Flightradar24 stated the stop was issued “due to extraordinary circumstances and for reasons of safety.” The alert noted that all traffic should remain ground stopped until further notice, and “inbound international flights will be managed on a case-by-case basis.”
Officials at Ontario International Airport posted on X, “Ontario International Airport is aware of a nationwide ground stop issued by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) due to a communications issue. We are monitoring the situation closely and will provide updates as soon as they are available. Passengers are encouraged to check with their airlines for the latest flight information.”
There was no immediate word on the cause of the communications issue or where it was located. According to various reports, shortly before the nationwide ground stop was issued, localized ground stops were issued at both Chicago-O’Hare and Midway international airports in Chicago due to an equipment outage. It was unclear if the two events were related.
Friday’s alert marked only the second time since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks that the FAA has issued a nationwide ground stop. The last such stop occurred in 2023 when a pilot warning system went down.
The alert did not appear to be affecting flights that were already in the air, with planes continuing to land at airports across the country.