Technology failure grounds flights across the United States in rare nationwide shutdown; flights to and from U.S. suspended across Canada right now
Air travel across the United States was thrown into chaos this evening after a major communications failure forced the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to ground departing flights nationwide.
The disruption affected airports across the country after problems developed with communications systems at regional air traffic control centres, prompting officials to take the extraordinary step of halting departures for safety reasons.
The FAA issued the nationwide ground stop Friday afternoon, citing extraordinary circumstances and safety concerns.
CTV News is reporting that airports in Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa, Edmonton, Calgary and Vancouver confirmed flights to and from the U.S. have been impacted by the grounding.
Canadian Transport Minister Steven MacKinnon confirmed that Canada’s air traffic systems are running as expected. “Canadian systems are operating normally,” he said in a post on X, adding that he is in contact with NAV CANADA.
However, he advised that travel to the U.S. may be disrupted.
“We are monitoring the situation closely and remain in contact with NAV CANADA. While Canadian systems are operating normally, travel to the United States may be disrupted as a result of the ground stops,” he said. “We will continue to monitor developments as the situation evolves and remain in contact with the relevant authorities.”
According to Toronto Pearson Airport’s website, as of 7 p.m. Newfoundland time, about 14 flights to a number of U.S. destinations, including Newark, Boston, Chicago, and Seattle, have been cancelled. Meanwhile, at least 26 American flights scheduled to arrive at Pearson tonight have also been cancelled.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy confirmed that the communications problems were affecting all 22 regional air traffic control centres responsible for directing aircraft travelling between airports across the country.
FAA technicians were investigating the malfunction, although officials had not immediately provided a timeline for when normal operations would resume.
The last comparable nationwide shutdown occurred in January 2023, when a computer system failure at the FAA disrupted the distribution of critical safety information to pilots. Before that, the previous nationwide grounding occurred in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said there was no immediate indication that the communications failure was the result of a cyberattack or deliberate interference, describing it as a telecommunications outage.
He also noted that passengers were safe.
The U.S. government has committed billions of dollars toward replacing aging equipment, communications systems and outdated technology used to manage the country’s increasingly busy airspace.
While aircraft already in the air were permitted to land, the nationwide restrictions on departing flights left thousands of travellers facing delays and uncertainty at airports across the country.
Meanwhile, an Air Canada spokesperson said the stoppage is also impacting flights to and from the Caribbean and South America may also be affected.
“Any flights currently airborne have been advised they are permitted to continue,” said Mehdi. “We are monitoring the situation very closely and will provide updates as they become available.”
The FAA continues to investigate the communications failure.
Image courtesy of FlightAware – Flight Tracker, showing several thousand flights impacted.
The nationwide grounding of flights across the United States has thrown the sports world into chaos, leaving NBA and NHL teams stranded and raising questions about whether NFL teams will be able to reach their destinations for this weekend’s games.
Several teams were also facing travel uncertainty, while the NHL had 14 games scheduled for Saturday. The San Jose Sharks were among the teams left waiting to travel to Utah, while the Florida Panthers had already arrived in St. Louis before the grounding took effect.
NTV News will have more information as it becomes available.
Related Articles
