Rare nationwide ground stop ordered at airports over communication issues: FAA

It's the second time since Sept. 11, 2001, that such a stop has been ordered.

The Federal Aviation Administration ordered a nationwide ground stop Friday for all airports due a communication issue affecting air traffic control.

The agency's alert said the stop was "due to extraordinary circumstances and for reasons of safety."

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said in an X statement a short while later that the stop was "due a communication issue impacting all Air Route Traffic Control Centers."

"FAA technicians are investigating the issue," he said in an X post.

This is the second time since Sept. 11, 2001. that the FAA has ordered a nationwide ground stop. The last time was in 2023, when the FAA NOTAM system went down and pilots could not get their pre-departure paperwork.

Air Route Traffic Control Centers are responsible for all flights above 18,000 feet. There are 22 of those centers in the U.S.

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Earlier in the afternoon, the FAA issued a ground stop at both Chicago's O'Hare and Midway airports due to equipment outage.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

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