FAA issues nationwide ground stop, affecting Chicago’s O’Hare and Midway airports

CHICAGO - The Federal Aviation Administration halted departures at Chicago’s O’Hare and Midway airports Friday afternoon as part of a nationwide ground stop after a communications issue affected all U.S. Air Route Traffic Control Centers.

Nationwide ground stop issued

What we know:

The FAA’s Air Traffic Control System Command Center cited "extraordinary circumstances" and safety concerns in an advisory issued shortly before 3 p.m. CST. It ordered departing flights to remain on the ground until further notice and said incoming international flights would be handled case by case.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said a communications issue affected all Air Route Traffic Control Centers. He said FAA technicians were investigating.

What we don't know:

Additional details on why the ground stops were issued haven't been released. The FAA did post an advisory online but have since removed it.

How O’Hare and Midway were affected

Local perspective:

O’Hare departure delays averaged 90 minutes and were still increasing as of 3:30 p.m. Friday, according to the FAA. That was up from 75 minutes at 3:25 p.m. and 45 minutes at 3 p.m.

Before the nationwide order, the FAA had issued separate ground stops for flights headed to both Chicago airports, citing an equipment outage. Those restrictions began at 2:10 p.m. for O’Hare and 2:17 p.m. for Midway and were initially scheduled through 3:30 p.m.

As of 3:40 p.m. Friday, the FAA’s National Airspace System Status page no longer listed a ground stop for Midway flights.

What travelers should check

What you can do:

Travelers flying through O’Hare or Midway can check directly with their airline for the latest information on their flight.