Flights resume after computer outage forced FAA to ground planes in KC, across U.S.

Air travelers in Kansas City and across the nation may want to check their flight statuses before heading to the airport — a computer glitch forced the FAA to temporarily halt all departures, causing a cascade of delays nationwide.

The FAA ordered all domestic flights to be temporarily grounded after it experienced an outage with its Notice to Air Mission system, which pilots check prior to their flights. The system alerts them to closed runways, equipment outages and other potential hazards along a flight route or at a location that could affect the flight.

The FAA lifted its ground stop shortly before 8 a.m. in Kansas City, saying normal air traffic operations were gradually resuming across the nation. The agency was continuing to look into the cause of the overnight outage.

The ground stop caused scores of flights to be delayed out of Kansas City International Airport. Airport officials urged travelers to check with their airlines for the latest information on their flights.

Southwest Airlines, the airport’s largest airline, had 54 flights delayed, according to FlightAware.com. Other airlines, including American, Delta and United reported delayed flights as well.

Just over a dozen flights in and out of KCI had been canceled, according to FlightAware.com.

Shortly after 6 a.m. in Kansas City, the FAA ordered airlines to pause all domestic departures until 8 a.m. to allow it to validate the integrity of the flight and safety information.

About an hour later, the FAA said allowed flights to resume at Newark Liberty International Airport and the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport due to air traffic congestion in those areas. It lifted the ground stop shortly before 8 a.m. Central time.

U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg said on social media that he has been in touch with the FAA about the outage.

During the outage, planes currently in flight were safe to land because the system affected is checked by pilots before they fly.

Southwest Airlines, the largest airline at KCI, said that during the outage it was “closely monitoring a data issue with the FAA that may impact the start of operations today.” It urged passengers to check their flight status for any changes.

American Airlines said it too was closely monitoring the situation and was working with the FAA to minimize passenger disruptions.