US grounds all flights after ‘communication issue’

The United States has grounded all flights nationwide due to a 'communication issue' affecting traffic control centers, US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced. Around 7,000 flights have been either delayed or canceled as a result of the stop.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) technicians are currently investigating the issue, with Secretary Duffy promising immediate updates as they become available. The FAA has not provided any indication of when the groundstop might be recalled.

System Under Strain

This disruption is the latest sign of strain on the US air traffic control system, which has been beset by equipment failures, communications problems, and shortages of controllers while the FAA tries to replace aging infrastructure.

Previous Incidents

This is the first nationwide US ground stop since January 2023, when a key FAA computer system malfunctioned. Before that, the last time had been after the September 11, 2001, attacks.

Congress approved $12.5 billion for the FAA's infrastructure overhaul last year, and the FAA and White House recently asked lawmakers for an additional $30.1 billion in funding.