FAA halts all departing flights nationwide after a communication failure hits every air traffic control center

The Federal Aviation Administration on Friday ordered a rare nationwide ground stop on all departing flights, citing "extraordinary circumstances and for reasons of safety," CBS News reports.

"The @FAAnews issued a nationwide ground stop for all U.S. airports following a communication issue impacting all Air Route Traffic Control Centers," Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said on social media. "FAA technicians are investigating the issue. We will provide immediate updates as we have them."

"By order of the Federal Aviation Command Center all airports are ground stopped. All departing traffic should remain ground stopped until further notice. Inbound international flights will be managed on a case by case basis," the Air Traffic Control System Command Center said in its alert, which was posted to the FAA's National Airspace System Status website.

Shortly before the nationwide order, both of Chicago's major airports, O'Hare and Midway, were put under a ground stop because of an equipment outage.

This is a developing story. Travelers should check with their airline before heading to the airport.

Update, Nov. 13, 6 p.m. ET: The ground stop was still in effect early Friday evening. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin told reporters outside the White House there was "no indication, as of yet, that this was a nefarious act," calling it "a telecommunication outage," and said all flights were accounted for. At 5:46 p.m. ET, the FAA's Air Traffic Control System Command Center said the nationwide ground stop remains in effect and that, as the en route centers recover, flights will be allowed to depart in a tiered release coordinated by the Command Center. Its next update is expected at 11 p.m. ET.