US aviation authority halts all departing flights nationwide over communications failure
The US Federal Aviation Administration on Friday barred all aircraft from taking off across the country after a communications failure hit air traffic control centres. FlightAware said nearly 7,000 flights were delayed or cancelled.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the US regulator overseeing civil aviation, imposed a nationwide ground stop at all American airports on Friday. The cause was a communications failure affecting air traffic control centres across the country. Aircraft already in the air may land, but those on the ground cannot depart.
Flight tracking service FlightAware reported that nearly 7,000 flights were delayed or cancelled because of the countrywide stop. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the problem affected all Air Route Traffic Control Centres and that FAA technicians were investigating. He promised immediate updates as they became available.
Shortly before the announcement, the FAA had halted traffic in Chicago, also citing communications problems. The agency said all departing traffic should stay grounded until further notice. It said it would handle international flights on a case-by-case basis.
Strain on the system
The incident is the latest sign of pressure on the US air traffic control system, which has suffered equipment failures, communications problems and a shortage of controllers while the FAA tries to replace ageing infrastructure. Congress approved $12.5 billion for the overhaul last year, and on Friday the FAA and the White House asked lawmakers for a further $30.1 billion.
Friday's halt is the second nationwide ground stop of all departures since the September 11, 2001 attacks. The earlier one came in January 2023, when the FAA paused all domestic departures for less than two hours.
