The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a nationwide ground-stop order late Friday afternoon after a major communications failure impacted air traffic control centers across the country. The disruption led to the cancellation or delay of nearly 7,000 flights, affecting air travel across the United States and triggering widespread suspensions for flights connecting through Canadian airports.
Major Canadian hubs—including Toronto Pearson, Vancouver International, Montreal-Trudeau, and Calgary International—reported that flights to and from the United States were halted or held until further notice. Air Canada and Porter Airlines also confirmed that certain routes to the Caribbean, South America, and Mexico were affected due to airspace restrictions, though domestic flights within Canada and NAV Canada's domestic systems continued to operate normally.
FAA technicians launched an investigation into the telecommunications outage. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin stated outside the White House that President Donald Trump had been briefed and that there was “no indication as of yet that this was a nefarious attack,” assuring the public that officials were examining all potential causes.
The nationwide halt marks only the second time all U.S. departures have been grounded since the September 11, 2001, attacks, following a previous domestic departure pause in January 2023. Transportation officials and the FAA have urged impacted passengers to check directly with their airlines for updated travel information.
