FAA Nationwide Ground Stop: Hundreds of Flights Canceled, No Indication of Nefarious Attack
Nationwide halt follows communications issue
The Federal Aviation Administration ordered a rare ground stop Friday affecting all airports nationwide. The agency cited a communication issue involving air traffic control. DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin attributed the problem to a telecommunications outage. The issue was still continuing, and flight disruptions were expected to grow through the night.
Thousands of flights disrupted
FlightAware reported that 1,913 flights had been canceled and 10,494 delayed nationwide as of 6:04 p.m. Those figures were recorded amid the ground stop. The number of cancellations and delays was expected to increase while the telecommunications issue persisted.
Investigation underway
Mullin told reporters the federal government was investigating the incident. He said there was no indication at that point of a nefarious attack and that everyone was safe. AirSpace Intel, the contractor behind the SMART AI system being rolled out at facilities nationwide, issued a statement on X about the ground stop.
Key points
- The FAA ordered a rare nationwide ground stop Friday over an air traffic control communication issue.
- By 6:04 p.m., FlightAware counted 1,913 cancellations and 10,494 delays.
- Mullin said the government was investigating and reported no indication of a nefarious attack.