FAA Lifts Nationwide Ground Stop After Telecommunications Outage Ends

The FAA has lifted a nationwide ground stop following a major telecommunications outage that caused mass flight disruptions. Officials attributed the technical failure to aging infrastructure, renewing calls for a comprehensive system overhaul.

FAA Lifts Nationwide Ground Stop After Telecommunications Outage Ends

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has lifted the nationwide ground stop imposed across airports in the United States following a telecommunications outage that disrupted air traffic control operations, triggering thousands of flight delays and cancellations. US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, addressing reporters during a press briefing, attributed the technical failure to ageing telecommunications infrastructure and called on Congress to provide funds for a comprehensive overhaul of the country's air traffic control system.

Duffy said the disruption began at approximately 3:36 pm (local time), when radar and communication systems at air traffic control centres and Terminal Radar Approach Control (TRACON) facilities across the country experienced instability, prompting authorities to ground flights as a precautionary measure.