Hartfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport runway
ATLANTA - Hundreds of flights at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport are stalled Friday afternoon after federal aviation officials ordered a nationwide ground stop across every U.S. airport due to a widespread air traffic control communication issue.
What we know:
According to live flight-tracking data from FlightAware, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport had logged 628 total delays and 22 cancellations within, into or out of the United States as of Friday afternoon, numbers expected to climb while the ground stop remains active.
FAA issues nationwide ground stop due to 'extraordinary circumstances'
The U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy confirmed Friday that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued the nationwide ground stop following a communication issue impacting all Air Route Traffic Control Centers across the country.
Transportation officials said FAA technicians are actively investigating the problem and promised immediate updates as more information becomes available.
Earlier Friday afternoon, the FAA's Air Traffic Control System Command Center issued an advisory halting all departing flights nationwide until further notice.
"Due to extraordinary circumstances and for reasons of safety. Attention all aircraft operators, by order of the Federal Aviation Command Center all airports are ground stopped. All departing traffic should remain ground stopped until further notice. Inbound international flights will be managed on a case by case basis," the advisory stated.
Since Atlanta serves as the world's busiest airport and a major domestic and international connecting hub, the halt on U.S. departures is expected to create ripple-effect delays for travelers flying through Hartsfield-Jackson throughout Friday evening.
The FAA has issued a departure delay program for Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, with departing flights facing delays averaging 45 minutes.
What they're saying:
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport issued the following statement regarding the incident:
The FAA has issued a ground stop affecting departures at ATL and other major airports. Arriving flights are permitted to land, however, departures are temporarily suspended. Travelers should check with their airlines for flight updates. We will provide an update as more information becomes available.
Please reach out to the FAA for more information.
What we don't know:
Federal officials have not said what caused the communication issue impacting all Air Route Traffic Control Centers or whether any external factors were involved.
The FAA also has not provided an estimated timeline for when technicians will resolve the problem, when the nationwide ground stop will be lifted or how many additional flights in and out of Atlanta will be affected before normal operations resume.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from statements and advisories issued by the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Federal Aviation Administration's Air Traffic Control System Command Center, flight-tracking data from FlightAware and reporting from FOX Local.