US Transport Secretary Sean Duffy announced that a nationwide flight ground stop that disrupted travel across the United States was triggered by technical instability following a copper wire upgrade project. The grounding began around 16:00 EST on Friday and lasted for more than four hours, marking the longest US ground stop since the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks in 2001.
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) head Bryan Bedford explained that officials ordered the halt out of an abundance of caution after experiencing system instability during maintenance work carried out by contractor L3Harris. Authorities confirmed there is zero evidence of a cyber-attack, foreign threat, or foul play, though national security officials and the White House Situation Room were initially briefed out of concern.
The disruption resulted in thousands of flight cancellations and delays that continued to affect travelers over the weekend, leading to packed airports and lingering knock-on scheduling issues. Transportation officials have urged affected passengers to contact their airlines directly regarding re-accommodations or full refunds, while the government continues to press Congress for funding to modernize aging air traffic control infrastructure.
