U.S. air traffic experienced a near halt on Friday after the Federal Aviation Administration ordered a nationwide ground stop for departing flights that lasted more than five hours.
\n\nThe FAA lifted the ground stop at 8:15 p.m. ET, after thousands of flights were cancelled and airports across the country became packed with stranded, irritated passengers.
\n\nThe unexpected and highly unusual alert was issued at 3:54 p.m. ET, “due to extraordinary circumstances and for reasons of safety.” The alert contained no other information beyond stating that “all departing traffic should remain ground stopped until further notice.”
\n\n“Inbound international flights will be managed on a case by case basis,” the FAA had said.
\n\nTransportation Secretary Sean Duffy said in a White House news conference Friday evening that the ground stop was sparked by “instability for our radar and our communications in our centers, in our TRACONS throughout the country.”
\n\nTRACON stands for Terminal Radar Approach Control, and is an air traffic control center.
\n\nThat instability was detected at 3:36 p.m., he said.
\n\nHomeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said there was no sign of a cyberattack and the public was never in danger.
\n\n“There was no flights at risk. FAA was able to…
Original source: https://www.nbcnews.com/business