
FAA orders third nationwide ground stop in its history
Rare nationwide ground stop could go on for awhile as FAA troubleshoots.
via Ars TechnicaReported by 6 outlets
The story so far
AI summary of the reporting below · Updated · How we work
The Federal Aviation Administration halted flights across the United States on Friday, issuing a national ground stop following a widespread communications failure across air traffic control facilities. The government stated the sudden shutdown was implemented due to extraordinary circumstances and for safety reasons, though airborne planes were permitted to land. [6][1]
US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy explained on social media that the ground stop affected all American airports because of a communications issue hitting every Air Route Traffic Control Center. Technicians from the agency were deployed to investigate the disruption, with Jon Ostrower of The Air Current reporting that the FAA notified airlines of impacts to air traffic control frequencies. [1]
Federal officials have not disclosed the root cause of the breakdown or confirmed whether investigators are reviewing the possibility of a cyberattack. [7]

Rare nationwide ground stop could go on for awhile as FAA troubleshoots.
via Ars Technica
Federal officials have yet to say what caused the communications disruption or whether they are investigating a possible cyberattack.
via SecurityWeek
A spokesperson for the FAA told TechCrunch that it issued the ground stop "following communication issues impacting multiple Air Route Traffic Control Centers," which manage the airspace across the United States.
via TechCrunch
Takeoffs from airports throughout the US largely stopped on Friday after the FAA issued a national ground stop at 3:44PM ET "due to extraordinary circumstances and for reasons of safety," while planes in the air will be allowed to land. The FAA tweeted just after 5PM ET that, "There has been a temporary telecommunications outage…
via The Verge
The five-hour ordeal ended Friday evening. Planes will be allowed to fly again, but the effects of the stoppage will be felt throughout the weekend.
via WIRED
The government cited a nationwide communications failure among air traffic control systems as the reason for the sudden grounding on Friday.
via WIRED