FAA issues US national ground stop on all flights

The FAA imposed a nationwide ground stop on US departures after a telecommunications outage disrupted communications with air traffic control centres. Officials said the measure was taken as a safety precaution, and that all flights had been accounted for; the outage matters because it disrupted air travel across the country.

FlightAware reported nearly 7,000 US flights delayed or cancelled. International flights were to be handled case by case, while Canada introduced traffic management measures at four major airports and warned travellers to expect delays. It was the first nationwide ground stop since a system outage in January 2023.