On August 6, 2026, a regional FAA equipment outage at the Minneapolis Air Route Traffic Control Center caused widespread flight delays and ground stops across the Midwest. The outage began around 2:30 p.m. local time, triggering a ground stop at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP) that lasted nearly 90 minutes. Airports in Minnesota, Nebraska—including Eppley Airfield— Iowa, Michigan, Kansas, Missouri, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin experienced disruptions.
Cause and FAA Response
The FAA confirmed telecommunications issues disrupted radar and air traffic control systems at the Minneapolis center. This affected departures and arrivals at MSP. A ground stop was issued at approximately 2:30 p.m.
and lifted around 4 p.m. local time. FAA spokespersons reported that flights within the Minneapolis Air Route Traffic Control Center airspace were paused. The FAA is investigating the cause of the telecommunications failure, while systems have now been fully restored.
Flight Delays and Diversions
By 4:45 p.m. on August 6, MSP reported 87 delayed departures. Numerous flights from nine Midwestern states were diverted, held in flight patterns, or delayed for several hours despite the restoration of systems. Flights arriving from international origins, such as a passenger flight from Dublin, were rerouted to Pittsburgh before returning to MSP. Eppley Airfield also faced operational disruption during
the outage.
Passenger Impact and Airport Response
Passengers endured significant delays. Traveler Sierra Maatta described her flight from Dublin being delayed nearly an hour, then rerouted to Pittsburgh, extending her wait from an expected 90 minutes to three hours. She noted, “When you’re in the air, you’re just sort of like, well, I guess I’ll watch another movie.” An MSP spokesperson confirmed the issuance and later lifting of the ground stop and advised travelers to anticipate ongoing delays and to consult airlines for updated schedules.
FAA Equipment Condition and Modernization
Retired airline pilot Paul Jackson described the FAA equipment involved as “very, very old and very, very out of date
in many cases.” He stated, “What stands out to me is that this is occurring or has occurred at the time when the FAA is going through a redo of the air traffic control system from soup to nuts, all the way.” Jackson added, “And what this points to is that it’s overdue. It’s well overdue.” The FAA is currently undergoing a comprehensive modernization of its air traffic control infrastructure.
