DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin said it was due to a "telecommunications outage."
The Federal Aviation Administration ordered a rare nationwide ground stop Friday for all airports due to a communication issue affecting air traffic control.
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin told reporters it was due to a "telecommunications outage" and that there was no indication the incident was a "nefarious attack."
More than 1,000 flights have been canceled amid the issue.
The Federal Aviation Administration ordered a nationwide ground stop Friday for all airports due to a communication issue affecting air traffic control.
The agency's alert said the stop was "due to extraordinary circumstances and for reasons of safety."
Hawaii's Department of Transportation posted a statement on X around 1:05 p.m. local time that "Hawaiian/Alaska Airlines have confirmed all west coast flights will resume."
"All inter island flights remain active," DOT said in its statement.
-ABC News' Bonnie McClean
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said in an X post Friday that the ground stop was "due a communication issue impacting all Air Route Traffic Control Centers."
Air Route Traffic Control Centers are responsible for communication for all flights above 18,000 feet. There are 22 of these towers located in some of the nation's major hubs including New York, Los Angeles and Atlanta.
In an update shortly after 6 p.m. ET, the FAA said that the ground stop remains in effect.
"As enroute facilities recover, flights will be allowed to depart through coordination with the air traffic control system command center."
-ABC News Ayesha Ali
Major airlines are offering travel advisories and waivers.
Delta has issued a waiver allowing passengers to change their flight at no extra cost for Friday and Saturday.
United has issued a travel alert, and told passengers, "You can reschedule your trip and we’ll waive change fees and fare differences."
"But, your new flight must be a United flight departing between November 12, 2026 and November 20, 2026. Tickets must be in the same cabin and between the same cities as originally booked," United added.
-ABC News Clara McMichael
