WASHINGTON — The Federal Aviation Administration grounded all flights nationwide on Friday afternoon because of communications problems at regional air traffic control centers. The FAA notice said the ground stop was being imposed “due to extraordinary circumstances and for reasons of safety.”
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said there is a communications issue affecting the regional air traffic control centers that direct planes between airports nationwide. He said FAA technicians are investigating.
During the ground stop, flights in the air will be allowed to land, but flights on the ground cannot take off.
Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport issued the following statement:
Due to an apparent equipment outage, the FAA has issued a nationwide ground stop, which includes flights departing from MKE and other airports. The Airport is not involved in this decision, as the FAA controls the airspace… Anyone traveling today should check with their airline for more information on any potential delays and cancellations.
The last nationwide ground stop was January 2023 when a key FAA computer system malfunctioned. Before that the last time had been after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
The government has been working to overhaul the outdated technology that air traffic controllers rely on since Congress approved $12.5 billion for the project last year. Miles of old copper wires have been replaced with fiber optic lines and old radio systems are gradually being replaced at airports across the country.
This is a developing story.
