US lifts nationwide flight ground stop after 4 hours of air traffic control outage, confirms no cyberattack

Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said there was no indication as of yet that anything nefarious was behind the ground stop, but that it was a telecommunications outage.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has lifted a US wide ground stop of flights after all departing flights on Friday were halted "due to extraordinary circumstances and for reasons of safety", NBC reported.

While the ground stop has been lifted, FAA warned that it would take time for operations to return to normal.

Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said there was "no indication as of yet" that anything "nefarious" was behind the ground stop, but that it was a telecommunications outage.

More details awaited

Quick answers to key questions

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QUESTIONS

The FAA ordered a nationwide ground stop after a telecommunications outage affected air traffic control operations. It said the measure was taken for safety while the problem was investigated.

The ground stop lasted about four hours before the FAA lifted it. Departing flights had been halted during the disruption.

Officials said there was no indication that the outage was a deliberate attack or other nefarious act. The reported cause was a telecommunications outage, though the exact cause had not been established.

No. Aircraft that were already airborne continued to their destinations, with authorities coordinating their safe landings.

It led to widespread delays, cancellations and diversions, disrupting travel for thousands of flights. Passengers were advised to check their flight status before travelling to the airport.

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Prabhakar Jha is a journalist and digital news editor with nearly a decade of experience in online media, specialising in breaking news, politics, national affairs. Having built his career across fast-paced digital newsrooms, he has developed a reputation for delivering accurate, timely, and reader-friendly stories while leading editorial teams during high-pressure news cycles. In 2026, he joined LiveMint as a Digital Content Producer. <br><br> A postgraduate in History from the University of Delhi, Prabhakar combines strong editorial judgment with a keen interest in public policy, governance, economics, and global affairs. Before joining LiveMint, he worked with leading digital publications, including News9Live and The Times of India, where he handled breaking news, copy editing, headline writing, live coverage, and newsroom coordination. <br><br> Beyond the newsroom, Prabhakar is passionate about long-form writing and storytelling. He has a particular interest in global affairs. An avid reader with a love for literary fiction, he also enjoys blogging, poetry, and working on creative writing projects.