FAA Issues National Ground Stop At Milwaukee Airport Due To 'Extraordinary Circumstances'

MILWAUKEE, WI — Departures from Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport and other airports across the country were halted Friday afternoon after the Federal Aviation Administration ordered a nationwide ground stop because of a communications problem.

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.

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.

Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport said on social media that the ground stop was caused by an equipment outage and urged travelers to contact their airlines for the latest flight information.

Chicago's O'Hare and Midway airports, a short drive from Milwaukee and common connection points for Wisconsin 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 should check with their airline for flight-specific updates and can track delays on the FAA's national airspace status page.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.