US flights resume after nationwide ground stop over communications failure
The aviation agency has lifted the order that halted departures across the country. Airlines may face lingering delays as they reposition aircraft and crews.
The Federal Aviation Administration allowed flights to depart again on Friday night after a communications problem at regional air traffic control centers brought departures across the United States to a halt for hours. Lifting the nationwide ground stop ended the blanket restriction, but it did not immediately restore airline schedules.
The order kept aircraft from taking off while officials assessed the disruption. Hundreds of flights were diverted, according to The Associated Press, leaving planes and crews away from where airlines expected them to be. That disruption can produce delays and cancellations long after departure clearances resume.
The FAA said communications problems affecting regional control centers prompted the initial stop. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin told reporters at the White House that adding new technology to an older system may have overloaded it. That is an official's preliminary explanation, not a completed technical finding: authorities were still investigating the precise cause. Mullin said there was, so far, no indication of a deliberate attack.
The shutdown also affected cargo operations and weekend travel plans. Some international flights were handled case by case, officials said. Holding departures was a safety measure: when controllers cannot rely on the communications needed to manage traffic, keeping aircraft on the ground limits the risk while the system is checked.
It was the first nationwide halt to departures since January 2023, when a failure of the system that sends notices to pilots prompted a similar order. The episode again draws attention to the US air traffic control infrastructure, which is undergoing modernization.
For travelers, the end of the ground stop does not mean a flight will leave on time. The most useful updates are those from the airline and the departure airport. Carriers still have to reposition aircraft, crews and connections before normal schedules can return.
