FAA has lifted its third-ever nationwide ground stop
The Federal Administration lifted its third-ever nationwide ground stop after several hours Friday evening. Domestic flights were cleared to begin taking off at 8:35 pm EST. FAA Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy cautioned that, barring massive system updates, there will be "more of these" ahead.
"Today's nationwide ground stop happened because our air traffic control system is operating on DECADES-OLD analog equipment that simply cannot compete with the demands of the 21st century," Duffy posted on X.
Over a million travelers have been affected by the delays, with some airlines cancelling flights for the remainder of Friday. "Due to the ongoing ground stop, Air Canada has cancelled all flights to and from the United States for the remainder of the evening," the airline said.