FAA orders rare nationwide ground stop at US airports over communication issue

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ordered a nationwide ground stop on Friday for all airports in the United States because of a communication issue affecting air traffic control.

The agency's alert said the stop was ordered 'due to extraordinary circumstances and for reasons of safety.'

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said in a statement on X a short while later that the stop was due to a communication issue impacting all Air Route Traffic Control Centers. 'FAA technicians are investigating the issue,' he said in the post.

This is only the second time since 11 September 2001 that the FAA has ordered a nationwide ground stop. The last time was in 2023, when the FAA's NOTAM system went down and pilots could not get their pre-departure paperwork.

Air Route Traffic Control Centers are responsible for all flights above 18,000 feet. There are 22 of those centers in the US.

Earlier in the afternoon, the FAA had issued a ground stop at both Chicago's O'Hare and Midway airports due to an equipment outage.

The situation remains a developing story following the nationwide order.