US flight chaos: four-hour nationwide ground stop cancels more than 6,600 flights after communications failure

On Friday afternoon, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) declared a nationwide ground stop after a communications failure at air traffic control centres. The sudden decision threw airports across the country into chaos, with some passengers learning that their flights had been cancelled even after they had boarded.

According to FlightRadar24, more than 6,600 flights were cancelled and 8,600 were delayed. Another 1,500 flights had already been cancelled for Sunday.

The four-hour nationwide grounding was the longest flight shutdown since the attacks of September 11, 2001. Aviation analysts said the four-hour grounding could disrupt airline schedules for days.

The FAA lifted the ground stop later on Friday. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said US airspace reopened at 8.15pm Eastern Time. But he warned that departures would resume gradually and that it would take time for airlines to restore normal operations.

Even with the stoppage lifted, airlines cannot return to normal operations immediately, because so many of their planes and crews are out of position.

At New York’s John F Kennedy airport, passengers found their travel plans abruptly cancelled, some even after they had boarded. Steve Honberger, who was heading home to Portland, Oregon, with his wife and daughter, said he was on a plane about to take off when the shutdown was announced. The plane sat at the gate for an hour and 40 minutes, and he said those in charge did not seem to know what was happening and wanted to hold off as long as possible.

Delta said on social media that the FAA-mandated ground stop had been lifted and that it was safely resuming flights, thanking passengers for their understanding as it worked to fully restore normal operations as quickly as possible.

Southwest Airlines said it was resuming a limited number of flights on Friday evening after consulting with the FAA, and that it would continue to adjust its plans as needed.

United Airlines said it was resuming operations, including some Friday night flights. In a post on X, the airline said safety was its highest priority as it took care of its customers and employees.

American Airlines said it would operate as many flights as possible on Friday night and aim for a strong recovery from the disruption in the days ahead. Live coverage of the incident wrapped up just after 12.50am in Washington DC, though the disruption at airports was far from over.