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FAA grounds all flights nationwide over communication issue, including PHL

The FAA citied “extraordinary circumstances and for reasons of safety” as the reason for halting all flights across the country, including in and out of Philadelphia.

The air traffic at the Philadelphia International Airport, seen here in November 2025.
The air traffic at the Philadelphia International Airport, seen here in November 2025.Read more
Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer

When will the ground stop be lifted?

In an alert sent Friday afternoon, the Federal Aviation Administration citied "extraordinary circumstances" and "reasons of safety" for ordering all flights nationwide to be grounded.

"All departing traffic should remain ground stopped until further notice," the FAA's alert read. "Inbound international flights will be managed on a case by case basis."

The FAA has not offered any further updates about the cause of the ground stop or how long it will remain in place.

FAA issues nationwide ground stop for all flights

The Federal Aviation Administration took the extraordinary step of grounding all flights nationwide Friday afternoon due to communications issues, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy confirmed in a social media post.

Duffy described the problem as a "communication issue impacting all Air Route Traffic Control Centers."

"FAA technicians are investigating the issue," Duffy wrote. "We will provide immediate updates as we have them."