FAA ends four hour ground stop

The Federal Aviation Administration ended the nationwide ground stop that paralyzed the U.S. aviation system on Friday. The rare halt lasted about four hours.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy cited a communication issue as the cause. The FAA described the event as a temporary telecommunications outage affecting Air Route Traffic Control Centers. These regional hubs manage high-altitude traffic across the country. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin stated the outage was not linked to a threat or attack. He told reporters at the White House there was no reason for the public to fear for their loved ones.

The disruption created massive delays. FlightAware data showed more than 10,000 flights were delayed by 8 p.m. EST. An additional 5,000 flights were canceled. This turmoil followed nearly 7,000 delays on Thursday. The FAA noted this is only the second national ground stop since September 11, 2001. The previous event in 2023 was caused by contract workers deleting critical files in the NOTAM system.

The FAA has recently introduced an AI-enhanced software tool called SMART as part of its air traffic control overhaul. Air Space Intelligence, the developer of the tool, said the ground stop was not a result of the SMART system. The company stated the outage was not based on their product or its integration with the FAA.

Travelers at major airports faced hours of uncertainty. Regina Harling was stranded at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport. She was traveling to San Diego for a family emergency. Harling said she learned of the grounding by checking the news on her phone. A sign in front of her still indicated boarding in 16 minutes. She expressed doubt about when she would reach her family.

Giliann Karon was on board a plane at Chicago O'Hare International Airport when the stop was ordered. She had already experienced a delay the day before due to bad weather in New York City. Karon said the repeated disruptions made travel feel increasingly difficult. The FAA said international flights were handled on a case-by-case basis.