On a Friday evening in November, the familiar rhythm of American air travel stopped all at once when the Federal Aviation Administration ordered a nationwide halt to departing flights after a communications failure reached the air traffic control centers that guide the sky. Passengers from Las Vegas to elsewhere were left to wait without a clear account of when the sky would open again, a reminder of how much modern life rests on invisible signals passing between people and machines. Officials insisted there was no sign of a hostile hand behind the silence, though they declined to rule anythin
US Grounds All Departing Flights Nationwide Over Air Traffic Control Communications Failure
Thousands of travellers across the US were stranded or delayed with unclear information on when flights would resume, and luggage access was disrupted.
"Nobody's flying, but they haven't told the public yet."
Mark
Why does a communications problem at control centers stop every flight?
Mimi
The FAA said the issue affected all its Air Route Traffic Control Centers. With that, it ordered every departing flight held nationwide.
Luke
That's the FAA's own description, though. The reporting doesn't tell us what actually failed or why.
Mark
Is there any precedent?
Mimi
January 2023, when the NOTAM system failed. That lasted just under two hours and was thought to be the first nationwide grounding since 9/11.
Luke
Note the hedge: "thought at the time." And that was a different system.
Mark
What did Mullin say about an attack?
Mimi
No indication of one so far, and he called it a telecommunications outage. But he wouldn't rule out anything, including a cyberattack.
Luke
So it's unconfirmed in both directions. He also said he sees no link to the Microsoft outage, which is his view, not a finding.
Mark
And the passengers?
Mimi
In Las Vegas, Southwest staff gave durations from eight hours to 24, and some travellers were told wind was the cause. Those are one airport's accounts, not an official timeline.
Luke
Right. Nobody has said how long the stop will last.
Il Polso
- A nationwide ground stop froze all departing US flights on a Friday, a rare systemwide halt caused by a communications failure at air traffic control centers.
- Travellers in Las Vegas and beyond were stranded with conflicting explanations, some told of wind, others told of hours or even a full day of waiting.
- Homeland Security said there was no sign of an attack but refused to rule out a cyberattack, while ruling out any link to a Microsoft outage.
- FAA technicians are working to find the fault, and officials warn the fix will not come within the hour.
- The disruption lands just as Congress weighs a $30.1 billion request to modernise the air traffic control system.
On a Friday evening in November, the familiar rhythm of American air travel stopped all at once when the Federal Aviation Administration ordered a nationwide halt to departing flights after a communications failure reached the air traffic control centers that guide the sky. Passengers from Las Vegas to elsewhere were left to wait without a clear account of when the sky would open again, a reminder of how much modern life rests on invisible signals passing between people and machines. Officials insisted there was no sign of a hostile hand behind the silence, though they declined to rule anything out, and the timing, days after a request to Congress for billions to modernise that very system, gave the pause an uncomfortable weight.
At a Southwest Airlines check-in desk in Las Vegas on Friday, November 13, passengers learned that nothing would be leaving the ground that night. Staff had been told the stoppage could last eight hours, and one employee suggested it might stretch to 24. The Federal Aviation Administration had ordered a nationwide ground stop for all departing flights after a communications problem affected every Air Route Traffic Control Center, and its technicians were investigating.
Such systemwide halts are rare. Individual airline stops over communications faults have happened in recent years, usually lasting a couple of hours, and the last nationwide grounding, over a failure in the NOTAM system in January 2023, lasted just under two hours.
The timing drew attention. The day before, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy had asked Congress for $30.1 billion to modernise the air traffic control system, including a resilient communications backbone for controllers. Homeland Security chief Markwayne Mullin told reporters there was no sign of a hostile attack, calling it a telecommunications outage, though he would not rule out a cyberattack. He said the stoppage was separate from a global Microsoft outage and warned that it would not be resolved quickly.
In Las Vegas, travellers pieced together their own explanations. Joseph Anderson, 72, a retired Air Force veteran trying to reach Oakland, said the public had not been told the full situation. Stuck without access to their luggage, he and his companions weighed rebooking against driving, though they feared the highways would be jammed too. He hoped the FAA would explain more within the hour. The cause remains under investigation, and no date for resuming departures has been given.
At the Southwest Airlines check-in desk in Las Vegas on Friday, November 13, passengers were told that nothing would be taking off for the night. Staff at one desk said they had been told the stoppage would last at least eight hours. One airline employee put it at 24 hours. The reason was a nationwide ground stop for all departing flights, ordered by the Federal Aviation Administration.
The agency said it had issued the order for all US airports after a communication issue affecting all Air Route Traffic Control Centers. FAA technicians, it said, were investigating. The order caused immediate confusion for travellers across the country.
Such a move is rare. The FAA has ordered similar stops in recent years for individual airlines because of communications problems, usually lasting a couple of hours or less. Systemwide groundings are far less common. In January 2023, the agency halted flights nationwide over problems with the Notice to Air Missions system, known as NOTAM, which gives pilots information about hazards and changes to airport facilities. That outage lasted just under two hours and was thought at the time to be the first nationwide grounding since 9/11.
The timing drew notice. A day earlier, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy formally asked Congress for US$30.1 billion to upgrade and modernise the air traffic control system. In a letter to lawmakers, Duffy and Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought described the investment as critical to completing the modernisation of the national airspace, including a resilient telecommunications backbone for controllers, modern hardware and software, new control towers and airport infrastructure.
Homeland Security chief Markwayne Mullin spoke to reporters at the White House after meeting President Donald Trump. He said there was no indication the country was under threat. "There was no indication, as of yet, that this was a nefarious attack against us, it's just a telecommunications outage, as of right now," he said, adding, "This isn't another 9/11." Asked whether a cyberattack could eventually be found responsible, he said officials were "not ruling out anything at this point."
Mullin said he did not believe the stoppage was tied to a huge global Microsoft outage that had affected public services around the world. "Those are separate issues," he said. He added that every flight had been accounted for and that incoming international flights would be handled case by case. He also warned against expecting a quick fix: "This isn't going to just be resolved and turned around within the hour."
In Las Vegas, travellers were left to piece things together. Some said they had been told their flights were delayed because of wind. Joseph Anderson, 72, a retired Air Force veteran trying to reach Oakland, California, said, "So supposedly, nobody's flying, but they haven't told the public yet." He and his companions were weighing whether to reschedule or drive, but figured that if the whole country was stopped, the highways would be jammed too. Without access to their luggage, he said, they were stuck. He hoped the FAA's communication would improve within the hour.
The cause remains under investigation, and officials have not said when departures will resume.
Citazioni salienti
There was no indication, as of yet, that this was a nefarious attack against us, it's just a telecommunications outage, as of right now.— Markwayne Mullin, US Homeland Security chief
This isn't going to just be resolved and turned around within the hour.— Markwayne Mullin
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