People around the country are scrambling after all flights nationwide were suddenly grounded by the Federal Aviation Administration.
Videos by Suggest
According to the Associated Press, the notice sent by the FAA said the ground stop was being imposed “due to extraordinary circumstances and for reasons of safety.”
They are saying there are communication problems with regional air traffic control centers.
U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy made the announcement 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,” he wrote.
Flight Radar shared a screenshot of the advisory announcement from the FAA on X as well.
“Issued by the FAA just moments ago, ALL US airports are currently ground stopped. This means NO flights may depart for US airports. Flights already in the air will be allowed to land. This is related to an FAA equipment outage.”
The Associated Press said the government has been working to overhaul the outdated technology used by air traffic controllers since Congress approved $12.5 billion for the project last year.
Miles of old copper wires have been replaced with fiber optic lines, and old radio systems are being updated in airports across the country. But according to Secretary Duffy, an additional $30 billion will be needed to complete the project.
There was a similar regional air traffic control communication outage in September, aviation safety expert Steve Arroyo told the AP.
“If you don’t have that ability, whether it’s because the old wires that they have are just run down or for whatever reason, you’ve got to stop airplanes on the ground,” Arroyo said. “And not put them in the air where you’re going to risk not being able to communicate with them.”