
Takeoffs paused nationwide following communication issue impacting Air Route Traffic Control Centers
The FAA issued a nationwide ground stop for all US airports on Friday due to a communication issue affecting all Air Route Traffic Control Centers, with technicians investigating; Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced the stop via Twitter, citing safety reasons.
AI-generated summary
The article notes the last nationwide ground stop occurred in 2024 when a pilot notification system went down, and the previous one before that was after the September 11th, 2001 attacks.
Takeoffs from airports throughout the US paused on Friday after the FAA issued a national ground stop “due to extraordinary circumstances and for reasons of safety.” US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy tweeted:
“The FAA issued a nationwide ground stop for all U.S. airports following a communication issue impacting all Air Route Traffic Control Centers. FAA technicians are investigating the issue. We will provide immediate updates as we have them.”
Jon Ostrower of The Air Current reports that the FAA has said it’s “due to several impacts to ATC Frequencies and/or Radar capabilities.” According to CNN, the last time there was a nationwide ground stop was in 2024 when a pilot notification system went down, and the last one prior to that was after the attacks on September 11th, 2001.
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
The FAA will provide immediate updates as technicians investigate the communication issue.
Very likely · Within hours

The FAA issued a nationwide ground stop halting all US airport departures on Friday afternoon due to a telecommunications outage affecting all Air Route Traffic Control Centers. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced the stop on X, while Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said there was no security threat. This is only the third nationwide ground stop in FAA history.

The FAA grounded all flights across the United States on Friday due to an equipment outage and communication issues impacting multiple Air Route Traffic Control Centers, with departing flights held at gates and inbound international flights managed case-by-case; officials said there is no indication of a nefarious act but recovery will take time.

Eight people died when a three-story Brooklyn apartment building collapsed during excavation at an adjacent construction site, leaving 18 injured including four firefighters. Survivors recounted their terror at a news conference as New York officials ordered inspections at more than 160 sites linked to six entities connected to the site.

A cargo ship struck the Tacony-Palmyra Bridge over the Delaware River on Thursday, leaving it unable to close and causing major traffic backups between Palmyra, New Jersey, and Philadelphia. No injuries were reported. The vessel, the Singapore-flagged Strategic Alliance, is moored at a Kinder Morgan facility in Bristol, Pennsylvania, where a Coast Guard inspection team is on site. The bridge reopened Thursday evening with a lane closure.

A cargo ship struck the Tacony-Palmyra Bridge across the Delaware River on Thursday, leaving the bridge unable to close and disrupting traffic between Palmyra, New Jersey, and Philadelphia. No injuries were reported. The bridge, which carries Route 73 and handles up to 76,200 vehicles daily, remains closed until further notice.

An Israeli airstrike targeting Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza killed six people, including a general surgeon, and wounded at least a dozen more, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. The Israeli military stated it targeted a Hamas commander.