Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport flights were grounded on Friday as the Federal Aviation Administration ordered a nationwide ground stop for only the second time since 9/11.
The order affected more than 500 flights at Sky Harbor alone before the agency lifted the restriction around 6:30 p.m.
The nationwide ground stop was issued “due to extraordinary circumstances and for reasons of safety,” according to an official notice. U.S. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy stated on X that FAA technicians were actively investigating the underlying technical issue.
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.
Telecommunications Outage Impacts PHX
More than 300 Sky Harbor flights suffered delays by 3 p.m. across multiple carriers, the Phoenix New Times reported. Travelers inspecting the airport’s digital boards encountered the delay code DL beside nearly every scheduled departure.
The agency confirmed that a communications issue was affecting several American air traffic control centers but gave no details specific to PHX. Airport officials advised passengers via X to check their flight status with their airline before heading to the terminal.
The Federal Aviation Administration is reporting a nationwide ground stop for departing aircraft. Travelers are encouraged to check their flight status with their airline before heading to the airport.
“accidentally became part of aviation history,” one traveler in Phoenix wrote online about the unexpected disruption.
Rare Federal Aviation Action
Nationwide ground stops remain exceptionally rare within the American aviation network. In January 2023, a computer malfunction interrupted the NOTAM system for alerting pilots to runway closures and outages, resulting in a grounding that lasted roughly 90 minutes. Following the September 11 attacks, the FAA halted civilian departures at 9:25 a.m. Eastern Time and prohibited commercial carrier flights for two full days.
There has been a temporary telecommunications outage – out of an abundance of caution all flights have been halted. Every flight has been accounted for and international flights will be handled on a case by case basis.
The latest stoppage threatened collateral schedule impacts, including Arizona State’s football game against Central Florida scheduled for Saturday in Orlando.
More on Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport
ASU running back Kyson Brown posted this photo from the gate ASU’s team is currently stuck at: 📸 @662_sipp/IG pic.twitter.com/lz3UeF51qD