Nationwide ground stop lifted, FAA says

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First/AP) — The Federal Aviation Administration says airplane departures can resume after the agency lifted a nationwide ground stop caused by communications problems.

The Details

The agency lifted the ground stop in the evening after a five-hour stretch when most flights were not allowed to take off from airports in the U.S. It was longest nationwide ground stop in 25 years.

It was issued “due to extraordinary circumstances and for reasons of safety,” according to an alert from the FAA at around 4 p.m. The agency canceled the ground stop shortly before 8:30 p.m., allowing flight departures to resume.

Officials later said the “extraordinary circumstances” were caused by communications problems at regional air traffic control centers.

Nationwide ground stop lifted after flights halted for hours across US, FAA says Even with the order being lifted, airlines will not be able to return to normal operations immediately because so many of their planes and crews are out of position.

Federal officials said there is no indication the communications failure was related to a cyberattack.

In a press conference Friday night, Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin said the introduction of some new technology into an old air traffic control system overwhelmed it.

The system needs funding for a complete overhaul, he said, estimating a $50 billion price tag.

Flight canceled or connection missed? What passengers should know after nationwide ground stop Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the U.S. air traffic control system is “incredibly old” and relies on an analog system that got overloaded with data.

“Is this exact thing going to happen again?” the transportation secretary told reporters. “I don’t know that this exact scenario will happen.”

Duffy also repeatedly called on Congress to authorize billions of dollars in spending to modernize federal aviation safety.

“And so I would say, America, Congress, let’s make this system more safe,” Duffy said.

The FAA has issued a ground stop affecting departures at ATL and other major airports. Departures are temporarily suspended. Travelers should check with their airlines for flight updates. We will provide an update as more information becomes available. — Atlanta Airport (@ATLairport)

The ground stoppage left dozens of college football and other sports teams stranded or unable to depart for their weekend games.

“I would encourage those football teams to reach out to the FAA, to schedule their flight times and make sure they can move” to make their kickoff, Duffy said.

Sudden FAA ground stop strands teams and throws upcoming sports weekend into chaos The nationwide ground stop was the first since January 2023, when a key FAA computer system malfunctioned, and the second since the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

In a statement Friday night, officials with Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport said its flight operations were resuming.

Hartsfield-Jackson officials urged travelers to check with their airlines for updates. More than 750 flights had been delayed and 628 have been canceled, as of 10:21 p.m.

Delta Air Lines has issued a travel waiver for all its passengers.

“Thank you for your patience as we safely resume operations following the nationwide ground stop,” the Atlanta-based airline said in a statement Friday night. “While flights are departing again, it will take time to fully restore our operation. We continue to offer flexible options for affected customers to change your flights at no extra cost.”

Airline officials said to use the Delta app or visit delta.com for flight statuses and other updates.

During the ground stop, the FAA said inbound international flights would be handled on a case-by-case basis.

This is a developing story. Check back with Atlanta News First for updates.

Copyright 2026 WANF. All rights reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.