FAA Implements Nationwide Ground Stop Over Telecommunications Outage

The Federal Aviation Administration announced a nationwide ground stop for all flights in the United States, citing a temporary telecommunications outage that affected air traffic control communications. The agency said the halt was issued "out of an abundance of caution" and that all flights have been accounted for, with international flights to be handled on a case-by-case basis.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy confirmed the ground stop about an hour before the FAA statement. American Airlines said its flights would face disruptions for the remainder of the day and that crews were working to return customers to service once the stop is lifted. The airline added that flights already in the air could continue to their destinations.

Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin told reporters at the White House that officials have not set a timeframe for resolving the communications issue and that it could take several hours. He emphasized that the outage is unrelated to a recent global Microsoft service disruption and noted there is no current indication of a national-security threat, though a cyberattack has not been ruled out.

Mullin also said President Donald Trump had been briefed on the situation and had spoken with Secretary Duffy, describing the administration’s response as "phenomenal" and noting that assets and communication channels were being mobilized.

Air traffic controllers reported that parts of the national airspace were operating at "ATC Zero," meaning no air traffic control services were available. Pilots were instructed to follow visual flight rules where possible, and many flights were delayed or canceled pending resolution of the outage.