On August 18, 2026, a temporary outage at a Minneapolis air traffic control facility caused widespread flight disruptions across Minnesota and nine additional Midwest states. The facility, which controls air traffic over 330,000 square miles, experienced a system failure that impacted radar and air traffic control operations.
Flights arriving into and departing from Minnesota, as well as flights across the surrounding Midwest region, were either diverted, grounded, or held on the tarmac. The outage affected airports in states including Michigan, Kansas, Missouri, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, and Wisconsin.
Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport (MSP) experienced average delays of 90 minutes
on the evening of August 18, 2026. Despite the air traffic control outage occurring at a different Minneapolis facility, MSP still suffered significant delays. Other regional airports continued to face disruptions throughout the evening.
Scope of the Air Traffic Facility Outage
The Minneapolis air traffic control facility impacted by the outage manages the flow of air traffic across a massive 330,000-square-mile area in the Midwest. This major regional center oversees thousands of daily flights, which contributed to the extensive nature of travel delays and diversions.
Federal Aviation Administration Confirmation
The Federal Aviation Administration confirmed the system outage at the Minneapolis air traffic control center and reported the resulting operational disruptions. Although
systems were restored temporarily, the FAA noted that flight delays persisted at multiple airports throughout the Midwest into the evening of August 18.
