Thousands of US flights remain grounded after a massive communications failure paralyzed air traffic control centers across the country on Friday.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) imposed the nationwide ground stop due to “extraordinary circumstances and for reasons of safety,” according to an official FAA notice. While aircraft already in the air are permitted to land, those on the ground are prohibited from taking off until further notice.
The outage has hit 22 regional air traffic control centers responsible for directing planes between airports, US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said. The scale of the disruption is significant; CNBC reported that more than 10,000 flights were disrupted, while the Irish Independent reported that 11,000 flights were scheduled to depart following the 4 p.m. ET announcement.
There has been a temporary telecommunications outage – out of an abundance of caution all flights have been halted. Every flight has been accounted for and international flights will be handled on a case by case basis.
“There is no indication yet that this was a nefarious attack against us. It’s just a telecommunications outage,” said Markwayne Mullin, US Secretary of Homeland Security.
A massive scale of travel disruption
The technical failure has already forced numerous aircraft to change course. Data from aviation analytics firm Cirium, cited by the Irish Independent, showed that 600 flights had been diverted, with 496 of those returning to their original airports and 104 diverted to different locations.
Airlines are currently managing the fallout of the standstill. Aer Lingus confirmed that its flights traveling toward the US are allowed to land, but departures from the US are on hold. The airline stated it is “monitoring the situation closely and will communicate directly with customers who are impacted by the disruption.”
Passenger Update We are aware of the current suspension of flights departing from the United States. It remains unclear how long this suspension will remain in effect, and there is a possibility that it could impact both arriving and departing flights between Dublin Airport… pic.twitter.com/HMfIaPZ078
The disruption is expected to snowball as flight crews approach their legal limits for daily duty hours. CNBC said that such delays often lead to widespread cancellations as crews run out of time to operate safely.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Scheduled departures after 4 p.m. ET | ~11,000 |
| Total diverted flights | 600 |
| Flights returning to origin | 496 |
| Flights diverted to other airports | 104 |
The infrastructure crisis deepens
This event marks a rare and severe breakdown in American aviation. It is the first nationwide ground stop since a computer system malfunction in January 2023, and the first since the September 11, 2001, attacks.
The FAA has temporarily paused departures nationwide. Flights already in the air can continue to their destinations. We expect disruption to our schedule for the rest of the day, depending on the length of the FAA’s nationwide ground stop. It will be all hands on deck across…
Investigators are looking into whether the outage is linked to a new artificial intelligence system the FAA is rolling out to help reroute planes. While the system only sends recommendations to controllers from a single location near Washington, D.C., its role in the current outage remains under scrutiny.
The failure highlights the precarious state of the nation’s aging aviation technology. While Congress approved $12.5 billion last year to replace old copper wires with fiber optics, much of the work remains unfinished. The Times of India reported that Secretary Duffy has stated an additional $30 billion will be required to complete the modernization, a figure the White House is currently lobbying Congress to approve.
Aviation safety expert Steve Arroyo, a former United Airlines pilot, suggested the outage might be tied to these very infrastructure weaknesses. Arroyo told the Irish Independent that if controllers lose the ability to communicate, the only safe course of action is to halt planes on the ground.
“If you don’t have that ability, whether it’s because the old wires that they have are just run down or for whatever reason, you’ve got to stop airplanes on the ground,” said Steve Arroyo.
TRAVEL ALERT: A nationwide ground stop has been issued by the FAA at DEN and other airports for departing flights. Airborne flights are still able to arrive. Passengers should check directly with their airline for their latest flight status.
“And not put them in the air where you’re going to risk not being able to communicate with them,” he added.
Authorities have not yet provided a timeline for when normal flight operations will resume.
An FAA-issued nationwide ground stop is currently in effect. No Delta flights are departing at this time. Flights already enroute will continue to their destinations. A travel waiver is in place to allow customers to change their flight at no extra cost.…
More on Steve Arroyo
The FAA has issued a nationwide ground stop for all flights. Travelers should confirm their flight status with their airline before heading to the airport.
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