An Alaska Airlines SkyWest flight departs Bellingham International Airport. The FAA’s nationwide ground stop Friday could delay departures at BLI and other Pacific Northwest airports. (Photo: BLI/Instagram)
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Air travel across the United States faced an extraordinary disruption Friday after the Federal Aviation Administration ordered a nationwide ground stop for all departing flights, citing safety concerns and what officials later described as widespread air traffic control communications problems.
The FAA issued the unusual directive Friday, Nov. 13, instructing airports nationwide to hold departing aircraft on the ground until further notice.
“Due to extraordinary circumstances and for reasons of safety, all departing traffic should remain ground stopped until further notice.”
— Federal Aviation Administration
The agency provided little explanation in its initial alert. It said inbound international flights would receive individual consideration.
“Inbound international flights will be managed on a case by case basis.”
— Federal Aviation Administration
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy later confirmed that communications problems were affecting air traffic control centers across the country. FAA technicians were investigating the disruption.
The nationwide order affects departures at airports throughout the country, including major commercial hubs. Travelers departing Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and other Pacific Northwest airports could also face delays and cancellations.
Aircraft already in the air were not subject to the departure hold and could continue toward their destinations, according to reporting by Reuters.
A Rare Nationwide Order
The disruption is particularly unusual because nationwide ground stops are rarely necessary. The FAA previously halted nationwide departures in January 2023 after an outage involving its Notice to Air Missions (NOTAM) system disrupted the distribution of critical flight safety information.
Friday’s disruption comes as federal officials continue efforts to modernize aging air traffic control infrastructure.
The FAA had not announced a cause for the communications problems or provided a definitive timeline for restoring normal departures as the situation developed Friday.
Travelers should check directly with their airlines for flight status, delays and cancellations before heading to the airport.
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