A widespread communications disruption is reportedly impacting Air Route Traffic Control Centers across the United States.
Takeoffs from airports throughout the country were suspended on Friday after the FAA implemented a national ground stop. This measure was ordered "due to extraordinary circumstances and for reasons of safety," though aircraft already in the air were permitted to land.
US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy took to Twitter to explain the situation. He stated that the FAA issued the nationwide ground stop following a communication issue that impacted all Air Route Traffic Control Centers. He confirmed that FAA technicians are currently investigating the problem and promised to provide immediate updates.
At a press conference at the White House, Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin addressed the situation. He informed reporters that there is currently no evidence to suggest a cyberattack or other national security threat, although he noted that the specific cause for the "telecommunications outage" has not yet been determined.
According to Jon Ostrower of The Air Current, the FAA has informed airlines that the stoppage resulted from "several impacts to ATC Frequencies and/or Radar capabilities." As of 5:19 PM ET, the flight tracking platform FlightAware had logged 9,086 flights as delayed.
CNN reported that the previous nationwide ground stop occurred in 2023. That incident lasted approximately 90 minutes after the Notice to Air Missions (NOTAM) system failed for pilots. The last prior instance happened following the September 11 attacks in 2001.
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