Airports across Arizona experienced a four‑hour halt to departing flights on Friday after the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a nationwide ground stop at about 2:15 p.m. local time. The interruption, described by the FAA as a “temporary telecommunications outage,” affected all departures at Phoenix Sky Harbor, Mesa Gateway, Scottsdale, Deer Valley and Flagstaff Pulliam airports.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, a member of the Trump administration, said the stop was triggered by a communications issue affecting regional air‑traffic control centers that route planes nationwide. “Every flight has been accounted for and international flights will be handled on a case‑by‑case basis,” the FAA added. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin noted there was no indication of a national‑security threat, though he did not rule out any cause, including a cyberattack.
Sky Harbor reported 338 delayed flights and 155 canceled flights as of 6 p.m. MST, while the FAA lifted the ground stop around 6:15 p.m. Flight disruptions, however, persisted into the evening. Nationwide, at least 1,194 flights were canceled on Friday, with an additional 1,082 cancellations reported for Saturday.
Travelers were urged to check with airlines for compensation options. The FAA said technicians are investigating the cause of the outage, and officials emphasized that safety remains the top priority.
Yuma International Airport saw a calmer scene, with officials confirming no cancellations but flights placed on standby. One passenger recounted receiving a standby notification for an 11:30 a.m. flight to Phoenix, boarding, then being asked to return to the waiting room before finally departing.
According to AZFamily, this is only the second nationwide ground stop since the September 11, 2001 attacks, the first occurring in January 2023 when a key FAA computer system malfunctioned.
What’s next: The FAA will continue its investigation and provide updates through its website and airline communications. Travelers with disrupted itineraries should monitor airline notifications and consider rebooking or seeking refunds where applicable.
Sources: azfamily.com
