FAA Orders Nationwide Ground Stop After Multi-Center Communications Failure

Overview

• The FAA issued a nationwide order halting all departures on Friday after communications failures were reported at multiple air-traffic control centers, and controllers kept in‑flight aircraft on approach to land.
• Flight trackers and airline reports show roughly 5,000 to 7,000 flights were delayed or cancelled, leaving hundreds of thousands of passengers stranded in crowded airports ahead of the Thanksgiving travel period.
• Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said there is no current evidence of a deliberate attack, and the FBI has opened an inquiry that includes whether a recent software update played a role.
• Major carriers including United and American said flights already en route will continue to land but no new departures will be allowed until the FAA lifts the ground stop.
• The outage highlights long-standing vulnerabilities in aging air-traffic infrastructure and coincided with the White House request for $30.1 billion to modernize the system, which officials say may be needed to prevent similar disruptions.