FAA lifts nationwide ground stop after hours-long outage, Secretary Duffy urges $50 billion overhaul
The Federal Aviation Administration ended a four-hour ground stop that halted flights across the United States, while Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy called on Congress to fund a $50 billion modernization of the air-traffic system.
The FAA ended a nationwide ground stop Friday evening, restoring operations after more than four hours of halted flights that affected major hubs including Chicago Midway and O'Hare. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy told reporters the United States still has the "safest airspace in the world" but warned that similar outages could recur without a $50 billion investment from Congress to overhaul the air-traffic control system.
At Midway, FlightAware recorded over 170 delayed flights and wait times approaching 90 minutes. Passengers reported long lines for baggage claim and uncertainty about when luggage would be available. Southwest Airlines said it was cooperating with the FAA to minimize the impact on customers.
More than 700 flights were canceled at O'Hare, and travelers described the situation as confusing and frustrating. Some passengers chose to stay overnight in nearby hotels, while others opted to drive to their destinations.
The disruption began around 3 p.m. when the FAA issued a ground stop due to a communications issue at the nation’s Air Route Traffic Control Centers, which manage flights above 18,000 feet. University of Illinois professor Sheldon Jacobson explained that the problem affected the ability to communicate with aircraft once they were airborne.
The ground stop was lifted shortly before 7:30 p.m., but many travelers said the late resolution left them unable to salvage their plans.