The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has lifted a nationwide ground stop imposed after a communications failure hit air traffic control centres across the country, but officials warned delays could persist as operations return to normal.
The outage resulted in thousands of disrupted flights and affected travel between the U.S. and Canada, as well as some international flights that use American airspace.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said Friday the ground stop had been lifted, but that resuming normal air travel would be a slow process.
“The FAA issued a nationwide ground stop for all U.S. airports following communication issues impacting multiple Air Route Traffic Control Centres,” the FAA told Global News in a statement earlier Friday.
It said technicians were investigating the issue.
Duffy said the FAA began experiencing instability with its radar and communications systems at 3:36 p.m., affecting facilities across the country.
Duffy also pointed to the aging U.S. air traffic control infrastructure and called on lawmakers to provide money to rebuild the system.
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“I want Congress to give us emergency funding,” Duffy said, referring to efforts to build a new air traffic control network.
NAV Canada confirmed the FAA ground stop had been lifted and said some delays could continue as operations return to normal.
“NAV CANADA will continue to ensure that air traffic remains safe and efficient in Canadian airspace. Some delays may persist as operations return to normal,” it said. “Passengers are encouraged to check the status of their flight with their airline.”
The ground stop affected flights between the U.S. and Canada’s major airports and stopped other international flights from entering American airspace.
Airports across Canada were impacted.
There were disruptions, including delays and cancellations, at Toronto Pearson, Vancouver, Edmonton, Montreal-Trudeau, Calgary and beyond.
The airports in Saskatoon and Regina were not affected, as their spokespeople said they had no direct flights to the U.S. scheduled for the rest of Friday.
Transportation Minister Steven MacKinnon said the federal government remains in contact with NAV Canada as it monitors the situation.
The disruption is the latest sign of strain on the U.S. air traffic control system, which has been beset by equipment failures, communications problems and shortages of controllers while the FAA tries to replace aging infrastructure.
Congress approved $12.5 billion for the overhaul last year, and the FAA and White House asked lawmakers on Friday for another $30.1 billion.
Shortly before the nationwide announcement, the FAA halted traffic in Chicago due to air traffic control communications issues. The agency said, “All departing traffic should remain groundstopped until further notice.” The FAA said it would manage international flights on a case-by-case basis.
The Department of Homeland Security said there were no signs the outage was caused by a cyberattack.
“There is no indication as of yet that this was a nefarious attack against us. It’s just a telecommunication outage as of right now,” Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin told reporters outside the White House, adding that President Donald Trump had been briefed.
“There’s no reason for the public to be afraid or scared for your loved ones. This isn’t another 9/11,” Mullin added.
Mullin reiterated during Friday’s briefing that officials did not believe the outage had put the public in danger.
“The public was never at danger through this process. There was never any lives at risk,” he said. “All your loved ones are safe.”
Mullin also said there was “no connection” between the outage and Microsoft.
He said FEMA had activated centres and was working with airports, communities, cities and states to assist passengers, including those who may need access to medication.
Mullin said the department was examining all possible causes, including a new AI-powered air traffic control system.
Air Space Intel, the company behind the AI-assisted smart system, said in a statement on social media that the ground stop “is not based on or a result of the SMART system, any product of AI or our integration with FAA and ATC.”
Friday’s halt was the second nationwide ground stop of all departures since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. The other happened in January 2023, when the FAA paused all domestic departures for less than two hours.
With files from Reuters
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