FAA Ends Nationwide Ground Stop After Radar Communication Outage

The Federal Aviation Administration announced that the nationwide ground stop imposed on Friday afternoon has been lifted. Officials said the interruption was caused by an overload of antiquated radar communication equipment during a technology upgrade, leading to a telecommunications outage across the air traffic control system.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the older system was overwhelmed by the new upgrades, creating instability in radar communications. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin added that there is no indication of a cyberattack, though the possibility has not been ruled out.

The ground stop, the third such nationwide moratorium in recent years, halted nearly all departures and stranded thousands of passengers. At the peak, more than 30,000 scheduled flights were affected, with over 1,000 aircraft already airborne when the stop was issued.

Airlines diverted or canceled flights, and passengers were instructed to rebook or return home where possible. Southwest announced an expected update within 30 minutes, while other carriers offered waivers for fee-free changes.

Travel analysts warned that the disruption could have ripple effects through the weekend, especially as the outage occurred two weeks before the Thanksgiving travel peak, when airlines typically handle about 2.7 million passengers daily.

Mullin, speaking outside the White House, emphasized that the outage was not a security threat and reassured the public that all flights were accounted for. He also noted that flights already in the air would be managed on a case-by-case basis with a priority landing list.

The incident follows a similar nationwide ground stop on Jan. 11, 2023, which lasted about 90 minutes after a pilot-alert system failure. The FAA has indicated that additional investments in modern air-traffic control towers, infrastructure, and communication networks are needed to prevent future outages.