FAA Issues Nationwide Ground Stop Due to 'Extraordinary Circumstances'

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ordered a nationwide ground stop on Friday afternoon, citing "extraordinary circumstances and for reasons of safety."

According to an advisory issued by the FAA's Air Traffic Control System Command Center, the ground stop took effect shortly before 4 p.m. ET and will remain in place until further notice.

The stoppage grounds all flights nationwide and comes in the wake of communication issues impacting multiple air traffic control centers.

"The FAA issued a nationwide ground stop for all U.S. airports following communication issues impacting multiple Air Route Traffic Control Centers," the agency confirmed.

"FAA technicians are investigating the issue."

A nationwide ground stop is extremely rare, with the last occurring in January 2023, due to issues with a pilot alert system.

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