Flights Across the Country Halted as FAA Issues Nationwide Ground Stop Over Extraordinary Circumstances
Flights halted nationwide
The Federal Aviation Administration issued a nationwide ground stop late Friday afternoon, affecting flights across the country. The FAA said inbound international flights would be handled on a “case-by-case basis.” The agency said the stop was due to “extraordinary circumstances and for reasons of safety.” In a post on X, an FAA spokesperson said technicians were investigating and would provide updates as they became available.
Cause and timeframe unclear
Mullin said the problem was communications-related and not a safety issue. He cautioned against interpreting it as a threat to the American people or as “another 9/11.” Asked how long the disruption might last, Mullin said officials had not “discussed any timeframe.” The outage occurred on the same day the FAA deployed SMART, a new AI tool for air traffic control, but whether the events were connected was unknown.
Delays may affect weekend
Stephens warned the disruption could create cascading effects into the weekend. He said delays could complicate crew rest and leave pilots, flight attendants and planes spread across different cities.
Previous nationwide stops
The most recent nationwide ground stop was in January 2023 and lasted about 90 minutes, according to the article. The previous one was in 2001 on 9/11.
Key points
- The FAA issued a nationwide ground stop late Friday, affecting flights across the country.
- The agency cited extraordinary circumstances and safety reasons; Mullin described the problem as communications-related.
- It was unknown whether the outage was connected to the FAA’s same-day SMART deployment.
- A retired Delta pilot warned that delays could disrupt crews and aircraft into the weekend.