FAA Grounds CA Flights Under Nationwide 'Extraordinary Circumstances' Order

All flights in the U.S. have been grounded until further notice after the Federal Aviation Administration issued a nationwide ground stop Friday afternoon.

The FAA notice said the ground stop was being imposed “due to extraordinary circumstances and for reasons of safety."

The order impacts all airports in the country. It was issued "following a communication issue" impacting all 22 of the regional air traffic control centers that direct planes between airports nationwide, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy wrote in a social post.

Those centers are responsible for all flights in the nation's airspace above 18,000 feet — mostly after they've taken off and are heading to their destination airports, according to the FAA.

FAA technicians were investigating the issue, Duffy said. Officials have not described the exact nature or extent of the problem.

Nationwide ground stops are exceedingly rare. The last one was in January 2023, when key FAA computer system malfunctioned. Before that the last time had been after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

The FAA sent the alert to nationwide airports Friday and noted that all traffic should remain ground stopped until further notice, and "inbound international flights will be managed on a case-by-case basis."

The ground stop is expected to lead to wide-reaching impacts.

"The nationwide pause in departures could have widespread effects. Even if short-lived, the disruption will delay thousands of flights. If it lasts long, those delays could turn into cancellations as flight crews reach legal working limits. That would have cascading effects throughout the weekend," the New York Times reported.

Singer John Ondrasik, better known as the performer Five For Fighting, wrote on X that he was stuck on the tarmac Friday afternoon after landing at LAX.

Ontario International Airport officials said they are "monitoring the situation closely and will provide updates as soon as they are available."

Airport officials urged passengers to check with their airlines for the latest flight information.

Delta Air Lines suggested passengers visit the Delta app or website to check their flight status.

This is a developing story, refresh for updates.

Material from the Associated Press and City News Service was used in this report.