FAA Lifts Nationwide US Flight Ground Stop After Major Air Traffic Communication Issue
The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has lifted a nationwide flight ground stop that lasted more than four hours, marking the longest such disruption since the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001.
The FAA said Friday’s stoppage was caused by “extraordinary circumstances” involving a communication issue that affected all air traffic control centres across the country.
US Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said there was no indication of an attack and confirmed that everyone was safe.
Thousands of Flights Delayed or Cancelled
According to FlightAware, the disruption resulted in more than 8,500 flight delays and nearly 8,000 cancellations on Friday.
The FAA initially announced the ground stop at 15:54 EST (20:54 GMT), ordering all flights departing within the United States to remain grounded until further notice.
More than 3,500 aircraft were already in the air when the announcement was made. Some planes were diverted to alternative airports, while others continued to their intended destinations.
Flights Gradually Resume
Several hours after the initial announcement, some departing flights were permitted to take off from San Francisco International Airport.
The FAA subsequently reopened US airspace, allowing flight operations to resume by 20:15 EST.
The incident caused significant disruption to air travel across the country, affecting thousands of passengers and highlighting the impact of communication problems within the air traffic control system.
