Update: FAA Halts All US Departures Over Communication Issue at ATC Centers

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said at 4:16 p.m. Eastern on Friday that the FAA “issued a nationwide ground stop for all U.S. airports following a communication issue impacting all Air Route Traffic Control Centers.” He added: “FAA technicians are investigating the issue. We will provide immediate updates as we have them.”

Update: Duffy Cites Communication Issue

The FAA’s first statement, posted on its website and shared by Reuters aviation correspondent David Shepardson, described “communication issues impacting multiple Air Route Traffic Control Centers.” Neither Duffy nor the FAA gave a cause or said when departures would resume. Officials have not said whether a cyberattack is suspected.

American Airlines told customers at 4:24 p.m. Eastern that “the FAA is working to resolve a technical issue affecting telecommunications at many air traffic control facilities across the country.” Reuters and the Associated Press also reported the nationwide halt, with AP saying the FAA grounded all flights due to air traffic control communications problems.

Flightradar24 said at 4:19 p.m. Eastern that about 3,100 aircraft were airborne and bound for U.S. airports, while no additional aircraft were taking off. As of 4:30 p.m. Eastern, the FAA’s public status board did not list the nationwide halt, and the earlier equipment-outage stops at O’Hare and Midway had dropped off. Some accounts claimed the national stop had been lifted, but there was no official confirmation. This is a developing story.

Official Order Halts Departures

The Air Traffic Control System Command Center issued Advisory 111 at 3:54 p.m. Eastern under the title “National Ground Stop.” The message, effective through 11 p.m. Eastern, said: “Due to extraordinary circumstances and for reasons of safety. Attention all aircraft operators, by order of the Federal Aviation Command Center all airports are ground stopped. All departing traffic should remain ground stopped until further notice. Inbound international flights will be managed on a case by case basis.”

Minutes earlier, Washington Examiner reporter Anna Giaritelli posted notices describing a “nationwide ground stop for all centers, all destinations until further notice due to widespread frequency outages.” An unnamed FAA source told her the situation was “absolutely unheard of.”

Chicago Stops Cite Comms Issues

Before the national advisory, Advisory 107 had stopped flights bound for O’Hare from 3:10 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Eastern, citing an “equipment / outage” and “comms issues.” Midway received a matching stop under Advisory 109. The board also showed FAA-related departure delays at Newark, Teterboro, Phoenix, Las Vegas, Houston and Orlando. The FAA has taken unusual airspace steps before, including a 10-day closure over El Paso, and U.S. airports have faced separate system disruptions.

Crews Report Frequency Outages

Airline messages compiled by FlightDeck captured the disruption as it spread. A Delta crew flying from Boston reported “freq/radio issues.” A United crew in Boston said the airport had “just ground stopped.” Delta dispatch told another aircraft, “Possible nationwide ground stop coming… multiple frequency outages across the country. Do not push.”