FAA Lifts U.S. Ground Stop After Five Hours of Chaos
Thousands of flights were cancelled globally before the agency resumed departures, with Canadian officials offering support as delays persist at major hubs.
By Renata Mehta ·
The Federal Aviation Administration has ended the nationwide ground stop that halted operations at all U.S. airports on Friday.
The agency lifted the restriction after a communication issue affected all Air Route Traffic Control Centers. The stop lasted for nearly five hours. FAA technicians investigated the outage before clearing flights to depart again.
U.S. Department of Homeland Security officials stated there is no evidence of a cyberattack. They described the event as a temporary telecommunications outage. Secretary Sean Duffy noted that every flight has been accounted for. International flights are being handled on a case-by-case basis.
Canadian officials moved quickly to manage the spillover effects. Transport Minister Steven MacKinnon said Canada is ready to provide full assistance to the FAA. He confirmed that Canadian systems are operating normally despite the disruption. NAV Canada implemented traffic management measures at Toronto Pearson, Montréal-Trudeau, Calgary, and Vancouver. Passengers at these hubs were advised to expect delays while backlogs clear.
Major airlines adjusted their schedules immediately. Air Canada cancelled all flights to and from the United States for the remainder of the evening. The carrier warned that some routes to the Caribbean and South America might also be impacted if they transit U.S. airspace. Toronto Pearson reported that international and domestic flights not requiring U.S. transit continued to operate.
This event marks the second nationwide ground stop in the United States since the September 11, 2001, attacks. The previous incident occurred in September of this year. Experts noted that the communication issues do not appear linked to the new FAA system. The disruption caused cancellations at airports across North America, including Regina and Ottawa.
Ottawa updated its U.S. travel advisory to inform citizens of the situation. The notice advises travelers to expect air travel disruptions and to contact their airlines for specific details. Amtrak reported higher-than-normal call volumes and website errors due to the airline issues. The White House scheduled a briefing shortly after the ground stop was lifted.
Boston Logan International Airport received permission from the FAA to allow some transatlantic flights to depart. The airport did not specify the destinations or the exact number of cleared aircraft. Flights bound for Hawaii and Asia also departed from San Francisco. The FAA continues to provide immediate updates as operations return to normal.
