FAA Orders Nationwide Ground Stop for All Aircraft
Longtime Slashdot readers cold fjord and sinij share news that the FAA grounded flights nationwide after a communications failure disrupted air traffic control centers across the country. By Friday evening, the outage had resulted in nearly 5,000 flight cancellations and roughly 10,000 delays, with no timeline for restoring normal operations. Rumors are swirling that this could be related to the…
The FAA has ordered a nationwide ground stop for all aircraft after a communication failure disrupted air traffic control centers across the United States. By Friday evening, the outage had caused nearly 5,000 flight cancellations and approximately 10,000 delays, with no indication of when normal operations will resume. Rumors have emerged linking the incident to the FAA's newly deployed SMART AI system or Microsoft's recent global outage, but both companies have denied any responsibility.
US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced the ground stop at around 4:15 pm Eastern time, stating it followed a communication issue impacting all Air Route Traffic Control Centers. The FAA is currently investigating the matter, and Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin indicated that the AI system is being examined as a potential factor.
Microsoft, which experienced significant issues across its services this week, also stated that it has no indication that the ground stop is related to its systems. The FAA emphasized that the ground stop was due to extraordinary circumstances and for safety reasons.
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Also reported by 1 other outlet
- FAA orders third nationwide ground stop in its history arstechnica.com
