Update: Flight operations at Minneapolis–St. Paul International Airport (MSP) began returning to normal on Thursday afternoon after the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) lifted a ground stop caused by a regional equipment outage.
In an update posted on X, the airport said, "Airlines are beginning to resume some operations at MSP and other airports after FAA equipment outage. Expect some flight impacts to resume through evening as airlines recover. Contact airlines for latest flight status."
The ground stop, which lasted for about two hours, affected flights heading to MSP from airports across the United States and Canada. Departures from major hubs including Los Angeles, Chicago, New York, Dallas, Atlanta and Denver were impacted, along with flights originating in Halifax, Ottawa, Montreal and Toronto.
According to the FAA, the outage caused average delays of about 45 minutes, with some flights delayed by as much as 80 minutes before the ground stop was lifted at 4:15 p.m. local time, PATCH reported.
Initial report: A ground stop is currently in effect at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP) due to a "regional FAA equipment outage." Because of the issue, no flights have departed from the airport since 2:30 p.m. local time on Thursday.
"A regional FAA equipment outage is impacting flights at MSP. A ground stop is in effect for departures, with some limited arrivals," MSP Airport said in a social media update. "Contact your airline for the latest flight information."
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When will the ground stop be lifted?
According to CBS News, the ground stop has been extended until 4:15 p.m. for now.
MSP Airport spokesperson Jeff Lea told KARE 11 that the outage is impacting an FAA facility that oversees air traffic operations in the region, affecting MSP and other airports. He said departures from the airport remain paused, while some incoming flights may still be permitted if they were already in the air before the ground stop was issued. Some aircraft may also be diverted to alternate airports.
Cherry Capital Airport (TVC) also affected
Cherry Capital Airport, located in Traverse City, Michigan, has also been affected by the outage.
Providing an update on the situation, the airport posted on Facebook, “We have been informed by the FAA that the ground stop has been lifted for Minneapolis Center, allowing some departures. However, we advise passengers to still expect some delays."
"For those unfamiliar, Minneapolis Center is the FAA air traffic control facility that overseas and manages aircraft traveling through much of the Upper Midwest’s airspace."