A nationwide ground stop ordered by the Federal Aviation Administration just before 1 p.m. Friday grounded all departing aircraft at Los Angeles International Airport and other Southern California hubs, including Hollywood Burbank, Ontario, San Bernardino, Long Beach and John Wayne airports. The shutdown, described as an “abundance of caution,” lasted more than four hours and was lifted around 5:30 p.m. PT, with the airspace reopening at 8:15 p.m. ET, according to NBC Los Angeles.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy explained that the disruption stemmed from a telecommunications outage caused by a contractor replacing aging copper wire with new fiber. The upgrade overloaded a router, creating intermittent radar and communication gaps that forced the FAA to keep aircraft on the ground. Duffy said the problem was not a cyber‑attack and that older switches had been replaced “with President Trump, and our new IP switches did not go down,” highlighting the administration’s ongoing modernization efforts.
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin echoed Duffy’s assessment, noting there was no indication of a cyber‑attack and that no lives were at risk. “The public was never in danger,” Mullin said, emphasizing the safety‑first rationale behind the order.
At LAX, FlightAware recorded 534 delays and 512 cancellations by 10:30 p.m., while Long Beach, John Wayne and Burbank airports issued advisories urging passengers to check with airlines. Travelers reported crowded terminals, with some sleeping on the floor and booking hotel rooms at their own expense. Among those stranded was the USC women’s basketball team, slated to play No. 1 South Carolina Sunday.
FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford called the event the nation’s longest ground stop in 25 years and said the “worst is behind us.” He estimated that about 12,000 scheduled flights were unable to take off Friday, and FlightAware later reported more than 6,400 cancellations on Saturday and over 800 on Sunday. Despite the scale, Bedford assured that the air traffic control system was fully operational and that airlines were working to restore normal schedules by the end of Sunday, ahead of the Thanksgiving travel rush.
Airlines are waiving change fees and offering free rebooking or refunds for affected passengers, as directed by the administration. Duffy said the FAA has already replaced roughly 70 % of the old copper wiring with fiber and is seeking an additional $30 billion to complete the modernization, citing aging infrastructure that hampers safe operations.
What’s next: Travelers with disrupted itineraries are urged to contact their airlines for rebooking options. The FAA expects full recovery of the national flight schedule by Sunday night, and officials will continue monitoring the upgraded system to prevent future outages.
Sources: nbclosangeles.com, nbclosangeles.com, nbclosangeles.com
