The Federal Aviation Administration has ordered a ground stop at all airports in the U.S.
The FAA issued an advisory on Friday afternoon, citing “extraordinary unforeseen circumstances” for safety. U.S. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy issued a statement shortly after the announcement, saying “a communication issue impacting all Air Route Traffic Control Centers” was the reason for the ground stop.
A ground stop completely halts arriving traffic at their departure airport for the entire duration of the ground stop. No flights will be allowed to take off or land during this nationwide alert.
Inbound international flights will be managed on a case-by-case basis, according to the FAA.
The last time a nationwide ground stop was ordered was on Jan. 11, 2023 due to an issue with the Norice to Air Mission Systems, and lasted about an hour and a half.
No further information has been disclosed.
