Planes in the air allowed to continue to their destinations
The Federal Aviation Administration halted departing flights across the United States after a communications issue hit multiple air route traffic-control centers, the agency said. The ground stop covers departures nationwide, one of the broadest interventions the FAA can order over the country’s air traffic system.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy wrote on X that there had been a communication issue affecting multiple air route traffic-control centers and that FAA technicians are investigating the issue.
The agency said planes already in the air are able to continue flying to their destinations. Inbound international flights will be managed on a case-by-case basis, the FAA said.
The halt is the second time in recent years the FAA has taken the extraordinary step of halting all departures across the country.
The FAA did not say in its announcement how long the stop would last or what caused the communications problem, and technicians were still investigating as flights remained halted.
A nationwide departure stop ripples outward from the traffic-control centers it affects: departing flights across the country cannot leave, while aircraft already airborne are handled separately from those still on the ground.