US grounds flights nationwide after air traffic control communications outage

On Friday, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) suspended all departing flights across the nation following a communications breakdown at air traffic control centers, marking only the second such shutdown since the September 11, 2001 attacks. Nearly 7,000 flights were either delayed or canceled, as reported by flight-tracking service FlightAware.

Pilots of already airborne aircraft were permitted to land, but those still on the ground were unable to take off, creating a significant disruption in the US air travel system. The incident highlights the ongoing challenges faced by the US air traffic control system, which has been plagued by equipment and communications failures, a shortage of controllers, and aging infrastructure.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced the nationwide ground stop on X, stating that FAA technicians were investigating the issue and promised to provide immediate updates. While airline officials indicated that the FAA had not specified when the ground stop might be lifted, early reports suggested that the communications problems were beginning to improve in certain locations.