FAA issues nationwide ground stop, affecting Chicago’s O’Hare and Midway airports

The FAA issued a nationwide ground stop Friday afternoon, halting departures from Chicago’s O’Hare and Midway airports.

The Details

O’Hare departure delays rose from an average of 45 minutes at 3:30 p.m. to 90 minutes at 3 p.m. and were still increasing.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said FAA technicians were investigating a communications issue that affected all Air Route Traffic Control Centers.

The Federal Aviation Administration halted departures at Chicago’s O’Hare and Midway airports Friday afternoon as part of a nationwide ground stop after a communications issue affected all U.S. Air Route Traffic Control Centers.

What we know

The FAA’s Air Traffic Control System Command Center cited "extraordinary circumstances" and safety concerns in an advisory issued shortly before 3 p.m. CST. It ordered departing flights to remain on the ground until further notice and said incoming international flights would be handled case by case.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said a communications issue affected all Air Route Traffic Control Centers. He said FAA technicians were investigating.

What we don't know

Additional details on why the ground stops were issued haven't been released. The FAA did post an advisory online but have since removed it.

Travelers at Chicago's sprawling O'Hare International Airport, Chicago, Illinois, USA. (Photo by: John Lazenby/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

How O’Hare and Midway were affected

Local perspective

O’Hare departure delays averaged 90 minutes and were still increasing as of 3:30 p.m. Friday, according to the FAA. That was up from 75 minutes at 3:25 p.m. and 45 minutes at 3 p.m.

Before the nationwide order, the FAA had issued separate ground stops for flights headed to both Chicago airports, citing an equipment outage. Those restrictions began at 2:10 p.m. for O’Hare and 2:17 p.m. for Midway and were initially scheduled through 3:30 p.m.

As of 3:40 p.m. Friday, the FAA’s National Airspace System Status page no longer listed a ground stop for Midway flights.

What you can do

Travelers flying through O’Hare or Midway can check directly with their airline for the latest information on their flight.

FAA issues nationwide ground stop due to 'extraordinary circumstances' A nationwide ground stop has been issued by the Air Traffic Control System Command Center on Friday due to "extraordinary circumstances."

The Source

The information in this report came from FAA advisories and airport status updates and a statement from U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy.