How to track flights during the FAA’s nationwide ground stop

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy confirmed the disruption in a post on X, saying a communications issue was affecting all Air Route Traffic Control Centers and that FAA technicians were investigating. The FAA described the stop as necessary “due to extraordinary circumstances and for reasons of safety.” An air traffic control advisory reported by Axios also said the ground stop covered all U.S. airports.

The FAA has ordered nationwide flight groundings on two previous occasions, according to the source: on Sept. 11, 2001, and on Jan. 11, 2023, when a problem with the Notice to Air Missions (NOTAM) system grounded flights for 90 minutes. A CrowdStrike IT outage in 2024 led some major airlines to issue a global stoppage.

Passengers should enable notifications from their airline for updates on specific flights. Online tracking options include Flighty, an iOS app that uses FAA air traffic control data; FlightAware, available as a website and app for Android and iOS; and Flightradar24, which offers live radar maps on its website and apps. FlightAware’s Misery Map displays delays and cancellations around the country. At the time of the report, it showed 2,438 delays and counting.

The FAA’s National Airspace System Status website, at https://nasstatus.faa.gov/, provides broader updates on active airport events. Travelers can also check individual airport websites and social media accounts for local information.