Overview

• A fire alarm at Albuquerque Sunport Airport’s Air Route Traffic Control Center sounded around 3 PM MT, triggering a full ground stop and evacuation of air traffic controllers.
• No fire was detected at the facility, and controllers returned to duty by evening as staffing levels normalized.
• The ground stop disrupted all flights through Albuquerque’s airspace, forcing some to divert to alternate airports and others to circle outside the region.
• Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport resumed normal departures by evening, though some residual delays continue to affect schedules.
• Unconfirmed reports suggest the alarm may have been pulled intentionally, and the FAA has not ruled out malfunction or human error as possible causes.