Sean Duffy Blames 1980s Copper Lines for FAA Ground Stop
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy blamed aging hardware for the disruption that delayed 10,000 flights.
By Jack Thompson ·
The Federal Aviation Administration lifted a nationwide ground stop at 8:30 p.m. CST on Friday, ending a four-hour shutdown of all U.S. airports. The halt was triggered by a communication issue that paralyzed the aviation system across the country.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy told reporters that the problem stemmed from outdated infrastructure. He described the network as relying on 1980s copper lines and old switches that became overloaded. The FAA specified that the failure affected Air Route Traffic Control Centers, which manage high-altitude traffic across the nation.
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin joined the briefing to address security concerns. He stated that investigators found zero evidence that the outage was a cyber attack. This distinction mirrors a similar event in 2023, when a national ground stop occurred after contract workers accidentally deleted critical files in the NOTAM system.
The disruption created widespread delays. FlightAware data showed more than 10,000 flights were delayed and 5,000 were canceled as of 8 p.m. EST on Friday. This surge in cancellations followed nearly 7,000 flight delays recorded on Thursday, compounding frustration for travelers during the holiday season.
Regina Harling, a passenger at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, waited hours past her scheduled departure time before learning of the nationwide grounding via her phone. She was traveling to San Diego for a family emergency and expressed doubt about reaching her relatives. A sign at her gate still indicated boarding in 16 minutes despite the hold.
Giliann Karon was on board a plane at Chicago O'Hare International Airport when the order came down. She was heading to New York City and had already dealt with a weather-related delay the previous day. The repeated disruptions led her to question the reliability of air travel.
The FAA has recently introduced the SMART system, an AI-enhanced software tool, as part of a modernization effort. Air Space Intelligence, the developer of the tool, issued a statement on social media clarifying that the product was not the cause of the current ground stop. The company said the issue was unrelated to their integration with the FAA and air traffic control.
Duffy indicated that flights would resume but acknowledged the backlog would take time to clear. The last national ground stop of this scale occurred in 2023, making this event the second such shutdown since September 11, 2001.
