The Federal Aviation Administration ordered a nationwide ground stop on all US flights due to a communications failure affecting all route traffic control centers, US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced.
Nearly 7,000 flights were delayed or canceled following the directive, according to data from FlightAware cited by Novinky. International flights are being assessed individually on a case-by-case basis by the FAA.
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.
“FAA nařídil zastavení letového provozu v návaznosti na problém s komunikací, který zasáhl všechna střediska řízení letového provozu na hlavních leteckých trasách,” said Sean Duffy, US Secretary of Transportation, in a post on the X platform.
The stoppage marks the first nationwide ground stop since January 2023, when a notice system for air missions failed, according to Associated Press reports carried by CNN Prima NEWS. Prior to that, the last nationwide flight ban occurred following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.
BREAKING: FAA issues nationwide ground stop for all departing flights due to ongoing frequency outages pic.twitter.com/lrlhdNnutv
Law Enforcement Finds No Initial Signs of Cyberattack
Federal law enforcement officials reported no initial indications that the communications failure stemmed from a cyberattack or criminal activity. Two law enforcement officials told CNN that the incident did not appear to be a cyberattack, while the Federal Bureau of Investigation monitors the situation and investigates potential software update issues, Bloomberg reported.
“Nemáme žádné indicie ani důvod se v tuto chvíli domnívat, že by šlo o hrozbu pro Spojené státy,” said Markwayne Mullin, US Secretary of Homeland Security, to reporters at the White House. Mullin added that the incident involved a telecommunications service outage and is unrelated to a massive Microsoft IT outage that occurred earlier in the week.
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.
President Donald Trump was briefed on the situation and immediately took charge to provide necessary resources and communication support, Mullin stated.
Air Traffic Control Disruption
Route traffic control centers manage flights across the entire United States. During the incident, several centers transitioned to an “ATC Zero” status, indicating they could not provide air traffic control services, CNN reported.
There are currently 3,100 airborne aircraft bound for US airports amid nationwide ground stop. No additional aircraft are taking off at this time. pic.twitter.com/GGqfb8QXhP
“Přibližovací řízení je v režimu ATC Zero a kvůli technickým problémům se do stejného stavu blíží také středisko Chicago Center,” a controller warned pilots approaching Chicago in an audio recording captured by ATC.com and reported by Novinky.
Technicians from the FAA are investigating the root cause of the breakdown.
Questions About the US Flight Ground Stop
The FAA grounded all flights due to a technical communication failure that impacted regional route traffic control centers across the country, according to transportation officials.
International flights are not automatically canceled but are being reviewed and assessed individually on a case-by-case basis by aviation authorities.
When was the last time US flights were grounded nationwide?
The last nationwide ground stop occurred in January 2023 due to the failure of a key computer system providing flight advisories, according to AP records noted by Forbes Česko.
Officials Prioritize Passenger Safety over Recovery Timeframe
A timeframe for fully resolving the communications outage has not yet been established as officials prioritize passenger safety, Mullin stated to Novinky.
“O žádném časovém rámci jsme zatím nediskutovali. Bude to nějakou dobu trvat. Situaci nelze vyřešit a uvést do normálního stavu během jediné hodiny,” Mullin said.