Local
FAA Orders Nationwide Ground Stop Over Communication Outage, Stranding Las Vegas Travelers
The Federal Aviation Administration halted all departing flights nationwide Friday afternoon due to what officials called a communication issue, forcing airports across the countryâincluding in Las Vegasâto hold planes at the gates and leaving travelers scrambling for information.
The Federal Aviation Administration ordered a nationwide ground stop Friday afternoon, directing airports across the country to hold all departing traffic due to what the agency described as "extraordinary circumstances." The halt, which began at 4:53 p.m. Eastern time and was initially slated to run through 11 p.m., is only the third nationwide ground stop in modern aviation history, following the September 11, 2001 attacks and a January 2023 outage of the system that delivers pre-departure safety briefings to pilots.
At a news conference, Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin sought to calm a nervous public, emphasizing that the disruption stemmed from a telecommunications failure rather than a security threat. "There is no fear to the public," Mullin said. "There is no reason for the public to be afraid or scared for your loved ones. Everyone is safe." He added pointedly: "This isn't another 9/11. I just can't repeat that enough. People are making that assumption because that's the last time we had a nationwide ground stoppage. This is a telecommunication outage. This is much different."
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said on social media that technicians were investigating a "communication issue." Asked whether the ground stop was connected to a widespread Microsoft outage that disrupted users globally on Thursday and Friday, Mullin said he saw no link. "I don't see any reason to connect those at all," he said. "Those are separate issues."
An FAA air traffic control advisory said all departing traffic should remain grounded until further notice, with inbound international flights handled on a case-by-case basis. The agency left open the possibility of extending the ground stop beyond its initial window.
At airports nationwide, including Las Vegas, video showed planes parked at gates and crowds of travelers waiting for updates, many scrolling on their phones or staring at flight boards. Flight tracking service FlightAware reported more than 12,000 aircraft airborne as of 5 p.m. Eastern time. Passengers were urged to check with their airlines for flight-specific information as the situation developed.
The disruption comes as travelers already face heightened anxiety about air travel safety and reliability, and it raises fresh questions about the resilience of the communication systems that underpin the nation's air traffic control network. For Southern Nevada, a region heavily dependent on tourism and aviation, a nationwide halt during a peak travel period can ripple quickly through the local economy, stranding visitors and delaying business travel.
Officials did not provide a timeline for restoring normal operations, saying only that technicians were working to identify and resolve the communication problem. The FAA said it would update the ground stop window as more information becomes available.