FAA issues nationwide ground stop, cites communications issue
The Federal Aviation Administration issued a nationwide ground stop across the United States on Friday, citing communications issues impacting air traffic control facilities.
While rare, a nationwide ground stop isn't unprecedented.
Friday's announcement marks the second time such a measure has been ordered since the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, when the entire airspace over the United States was closed.
The most recent nationwide ground stop occurred on Jan. 11, 2023, following a catastrophic failure of the FAA’s Notice to Air Missions (NOTAM) safety system, which resulted in thousands of delayed flights and hundreds of cancellations.
DHS Secretary Mullin says administration examining FAA’s nationwide AI rollout
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said “We’re looking at that” when asked about the Federal Aviation Administration’s rollout of its artificial intelligence-powered air traffic management system.
The FAA is expanding the $875 million system, known as Strategic Management of Airspace Routing Trajectories (SMART), to all 22 U.S. air route traffic control centers.
The technology analyzes weather, flight routes and traffic conditions to recommend alternative routes aimed at reducing delays and fuel consumption.
The FAA maintains that human air traffic controllers retain final authority over routing decisions.
Mullin says FAA ground stop is 'telecommunication outage,' not a 9/11-style threat
Friday’s ground stop isn’t a safety threat and not like the one that was issue after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, said Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin.
“It’s a telecommunication outage,” he said. “I’m not going to get ahead of FAA. That’s their lane to talk about.”
“We were wanting to assure all the American people this isn’t a safety (threat) to the American people or or another 9/11,” he added. “I think that’s what a lot of people are trying to make the comparison to, and that’s not the case.”
FAA issues nationwide ground stop due to 'extraordinary circumstances'
The Federal Aviation Administration has issued a nationwide ground stop due to "extraordinary circumstances."
"The FAA issued a nationwide ground stop for all U.S. airports following communication issues impacting multiple Air Route Traffic Control Centers," the agency told Fox News Digital. "FAA technicians are investigating the issue. We will provide updates."
In an alert, the FAA said all airports are ground stopped "due to extraordinary circumstances and for reasons of safety."
"All departing traffic should remain ground stopped until further notice," the FAA continued. "Inbound international flights will be managed on a case by case basis.
Immediately following the alert, 3,100 flights were inbound for U.S. airports, according to flight tracking platform FlightRadar24.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy wrote on X: "The @FAAnews issued a nationwide ground stop for all U.S. airports following a communication issue impacting all Air Route Traffic Control Centers. FAA technicians are investigating the issue. We will provide immediate updates as we have them."
This is post an excerpt from an article by Fox News Digital's Brie Stimson.
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