FAA Grounds US Flights After Air Traffic Communications Disruption

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a nationwide ground stop for all U.S. airports on an Friday afternoon, citing “extraordinary circumstances” for safety. The disruption affected communications across all Air Route Traffic Control Centers nationwide, with U.S. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy stating that the FAA was investigating the issue and would provide immediate updates as they materialised.

Officials have not publicly identified a cause, and it remains unclear whether the incident is linked to a cyberattack. The FAA directed departing flights to remain on the ground until further notice and indicated inbound international traffic would be handled on a case-by-case basis. The agency had already halted traffic in Chicago due to air traffic control communications problems before the nationwide order. SecurityWeek notes that the investigation is ongoing and that federal authorities have not confirmed exploitation or a cyber incident at this stage.