FAA Nationwide Ground Stop Ends After Communication Issue

A rare nationwide ground stop on all departing U.S. flights that lasted hours was lifted on Friday night, the Federal Aviation Administration said.

The Federal Aviation Administration and the White House said that a telecommunication outage appeared to cause the incident. All flight departures at BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport were halted during the FAA-ordered ground stop, which affected all commercial airline departures.

FAA issues nationwide ground stop due to communications issue — ABC News

U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced on the social media platform X that the nationwide ground stop was ordered because of a communication issue impacting all Air Route Traffic Control Centers. A spokesperson for BWI confirmed that all airline departures at the airport were held.

“Travelers are advised to check with their airlines for updated flight status information,” the spokesperson said, adding that airport staff would provide updates when further details became available.

The @FAAnews issued a nationwide ground stop for all U. S. airports following a communication issue impacting all Air Route Traffic Control Centers. FAA technicians are investigating the issue. We will provide immediate updates as we have them.

— Post by @SecDuffy on X

The incident left travelers at BWI Airport frustrated and confused as they tried to rethink their plans.

“I actually was standing in the Chick-fil-A line and didn’t even know this was going on because the app didn’t say anything yet. I heard the loudspeaker announce it and asked the lady next to me, and she said her flight was deplaned, so I went to my gate and heard the news officially,” said Hillary Wilson, a traveler from North Carolina.

Other passengers discovered the disruption mid-journey or while checking digital applications.

Rare nationwide ground stop ordered at airports over communication issues: FAA — ABC7 News Bay Area

“It’s obvious that lots of people are very confused. People are wanting to go on trips; I saw someone; they had an international trip, so this obviously threw a wrench in those plans. So it’s discouraging; you want to get home,” said Rick Smith, a traveler from Dallas.

Passengers already en route were informed that their flights would land, but those aircraft might remain parked on the tarmac for an extended period.

“So I got on chat, and I said, ‘Is there something going on in Baltimore?’ and it said, ‘Yes, there’s a nationwide ground stop. The ones in the air, they’re allowing them to continue their flight, but the ones on the ground are staying there,'” said Joe Digirolamo of Annapolis. “Maybe [I’ll] go get a crabcake or something.”

Other travelers voiced annoyance over delays.

FAA nationwide ground stop continues due to communication issues — FOX 5 Washington DC

“We got multiple delays; I’ve been here since like two o’clock. Since I’ve gotten here, there’s been two delays. So it’s kind of annoying,” said Gabriel Garcia from Texas.

Despite the disruption, some travelers attempted to maintain perspective while waiting for operations to resume.

“[I’m] Upset, but I honestly had to laugh too because this kind of stuff happens to me all the time, but it’s also happening to the whole country,” said Wilson.

WJZ reached out to BWI to verify the exact number of flights affected by the ground stop, but that information was not readily available.