TL;DR
The FAA ordered all departing flights in the United States to remain on the ground Friday, citing “extraordinary circumstances” and safety concerns. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said officials believed a telecommunications outage was involved, but the cause had not been established; crowded airports and delayed flights added to the disruption.
The Federal Aviation Administration ordered a nationwide ground stop for all departing flights Friday, telling aircraft to remain on the ground “due to extraordinary circumstances and for reasons of safety.” The alert, issued at 3:54 p.m. ET, gave no estimate for how long the restriction would last, disrupting air travel across the country.
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The FAA’s alert said “all departing traffic should remain ground stopped until further notice.” It added that inbound international flights would be managed case by case. The notice did not identify the affected systems or explain the underlying failure.
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said a telecommunications outage was the apparent cause “as of now.” He said President Donald Trump had been briefed and that officials were not ruling out other explanations. Mullin said there was “no indication as of yet” of a nefarious cause and said people already on flights had no reason for concern.
When the FAA issued the alert, 4,042 flights bound for U.S. destinations were already airborne, according to flight-tracking service Flightradar24. United Airlines said flights already in the air would continue, while new domestic flights would not depart during the stop.
How the Ground Stop Disrupted Travel
The order halted new departures nationwide, leaving passengers facing delays, missed connections and uncertainty about when they could travel. The immediate effects extended beyond aircraft waiting at gates: when arriving planes cannot be matched with open parking and gate space, airports can become congested and aircraft may need to hold or divert.
By 6 p.m., Reagan Washington National Airport was at capacity, while Chicago O’Hare was nearing capacity, according to a source familiar with the situation cited by NBC News. The source said there was limited space to park additional aircraft and that some planes could be diverted. These conditions can compound delays even after departures resume, as airlines and airports work to reposition aircraft and crews.
Vikrant Vaze, a Dartmouth professor specializing in commercial aviation logistics, estimated that 300,000 to 400,000 passengers could be stranded and said 3,000 to 4,000 flights might be held up over a period of more than two hours. Those figures were estimates, not a final count of affected travelers or flights.
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What Officials Knew About the Outage
At the time of the report, the investigation was at an early stage. Officials from several agencies told NBC News they had not seen activity normally associated with a cyberattack, while cautioning that the assessment could change as investigators learned more. Three senior officials said there was no indication of a connection to the Microsoft outage on the previous day.
The FAA’s communications and air traffic systems rely on different layers serving aircraft at different altitudes and near airports. Aviation safety expert Jeff Guzzetti told NBC News the affected outage involved high-altitude control centers. He said pilots train for communications failures and that other methods can relay information needed to maintain safe spacing. He described the incident as shifting from a safety concern toward a major logistics problem as airport space filled.
Air Space Intelligence, a technology vendor working with the FAA on its SMART air traffic control system, said its software was not responsible. The company stated that the ground stop was “not based on or a result of the SMART system,” its products or its integration with the FAA and air traffic control.
““Due to extraordinary circumstances and for reasons of safety.””
— The Federal Aviation Administration
Cause and Duration Remain Unknown
The FAA alert did not state what equipment or communications link failed, how many facilities were affected, or when departures would be permitted to resume. Mullin identified a telecommunications outage as the cause “as of now,” but officials had not announced a definitive explanation.
Officials’ early comments did not establish that the incident was caused by a cyberattack, nor did they rule out all possible causes. They said their assessment could change as the investigation progressed. The precise number of delayed or canceled flights and passengers affected was also not confirmed in the report; the passenger and flight totals cited were estimates.
It was also unclear how long airport congestion and knock-on delays would continue after the ground stop ended, or how many aircraft would need to divert. The FAA had not provided a public timetable for restoring departures.
FAA Investigation and Departure Restart
Airlines and passengers were waiting for the FAA to issue further instructions. Until the agency lifted or changed the restriction, new domestic departures were expected to remain grounded under its order; United said its airborne flights would continue.
Officials were investigating the communications failure and could revise their assessment as more information became available. The next key updates would be an FAA notice on when departures could resume, details about the affected systems, and information on how airports would manage aircraft and passenger backlogs. Travelers should check directly with their airline and airport for flight status, since the nationwide order could lead to separate delays or changes across routes.
Key Questions
What did the FAA order?
The FAA ordered all departing flights in the United States to remain on the ground until further notice. It said inbound international flights would be handled case by case.
Why did the FAA issue the ground stop?
The FAA cited extraordinary circumstances and safety reasons but did not explain the failure in its alert. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said a telecommunications outage appeared to be involved, while officials continued investigating.
Could planes already in the air continue flying?
Yes. United Airlines said flights already airborne would continue. Mullin also said people currently on flights had no reason for concern and that officials were assured everyone was safe.
How many travelers were affected?
No confirmed total was provided. An aviation logistics professor estimated that 300,000 to 400,000 passengers could be stranded, but that was an estimate rather than an official count.
When would flights resume?
The FAA had not given a restart time in the reported alert. Passengers were advised to check with their airline and airport for current flight information.
Source: nbcnews.com
