BunkerDweller

Yes — this is real and currently in effect. The FAA has ordered a nationwide ground stop for all U.S. airports/departures due to a communications issue affecting Air Route Traffic Control Centers (the facilities that handle en-route/cross-country flights).  Key details • What it means: All departing traffic is to remain on the ground until further notice (“due to extraordinary circumstances and for reasons of safety”). Planes already airborne can continue to their destinations and land. Inbound international flights are being handled case-by-case.  • Cause: A communication/equipment problem impacting ARTCCs nationwide (frequency issues and outages reported; some accounts say it began in the Kansas City Center and spread). FAA technicians are investigating. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy confirmed this on X.  • Rarity: Full nationwide ground stops are extremely rare. The previous one was in January 2023 (NOTAM/pilot notification system failure). Before that, it was the post-9/11 shutdown. Multiple outlets are highlighting this parallel.  • Official advisory (from FAA): “ALL AIRPORTS ARE GROUND STOPPED. ALL DEPARTING TRAFFIC SHOULD REMAIN GROUND STOPPED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE.” An advisory window listed times into early Saturday, but the operative language is “until further notice.” This is a developing situation. Expect major delays and cancellations cascading through the system once it lifts. Travelers should check directly with their airline rather than relying on general flight trackers for the latest status. No official indication of anything beyond the technical/communications outage at this point (preliminary reporting has noted it is not being treated as a cyberattack). The situation matches the core of the post you screenshotted.