On August 6, 2026, a regional equipment outage within the Federal Aviation Administration prompted a ground stop for departures at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP). The FAA issued the ground stop around 2 p.m. local time due to impaired air traffic control capabilities. The Metropolitan Airports Commission announced the hold and later confirmed airlines began resuming limited operations at MSP.
The ground stop lasted until approximately 4:15 p.m., when normal flight activities resumed at MSP. The FAA resolved the equipment issue shortly before 4:20 p.m., restoring full operational capacity. Despite the resumption, flight delays and disruptions were expected to persist
throughout the evening as airlines worked to recover.
Flight Operations Impact
The ground stop at MSP restricted all departures while allowing some limited arrivals. Several aircraft were held on the tarmac during this period. This pause in departures caused a cascade of delays expected to affect schedules into the evening hours.
Traveler Advisories and Regional Effects
Passengers at MSP were advised to anticipate ongoing flight impacts following the outage. The Metropolitan Airports Commission stated, “Expect some flight impacts to resume through evening as airlines recover.” The ground stop’s ripple effects extended to regional airports, notably affecting certain Delta Airlines flights operating out of Duluth International Airport (DLH).
The
Metropolitan Airports Commission confirmed airlines have begun resuming some operations at MSP and other airports since 4:15 p.m. Flight disruptions related to the FAA outage on August 6 delayed multiple flights, with potential continued impacts for travelers during the day’s remaining hours.
