FAA Issues National Ground Stop At MSP Due To 'Extraordinary Circumstances'

MINNEAPOLIS, MN — Departures from Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport were halted Friday afternoon after the Federal Aviation Administration ordered a nationwide ground stop because of a communications problem.

MSP Airport said on social media that the ground stop for departing flights was caused by an equipment outage and told travelers to contact their airlines for the latest flight information.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the problem is affecting all of the country's Air Route Traffic Control Centers, which guide planes between airports, and that FAA technicians are working to find the cause. "We will provide immediate updates as we have them," Duffy said in a statement on X.

That includes the Minneapolis Air Route Traffic Control Center in Farmington, which handles en route traffic over Minnesota and much of the Upper Midwest.

The FAA's national advisory, issued at 2:54 p.m., ordered all departing flights to stay on the ground until further notice, citing safety concerns and "extraordinary circumstances." International flights bound for the U.S. are being handled on a case-by-case basis, according to the advisory.

Chicago's O'Hare and Midway airports, common connection points for Minnesota travelers, were already under ground stops beginning at 2:10 p.m., WGN reported. The FAA had initially listed an equipment outage as the reason for the Chicago stops.

It was unclear Friday afternoon when departures would resume. Travelers can track delays on the FAA's national airspace status page.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.