Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP) implemented a ground stop for departures at approximately 2 p.m. local time on August 6, 2026, following a regional FAA equipment outage. Alongside halting nearly all departures, the airport continued to process a limited number of arrivals during the outage.
Regional Impact Across Midwest Airports
The FAA equipment failure disrupted air traffic control operations across multiple airports in the Midwest, including Duluth International Airport (DLH) and Des Moines International Airport (DSM). At Duluth, some Delta flights experienced delays as a result of the ground stop. In Des Moines, flight delays were confirmed by airport spokesperson Sarah Hoodjer, who noted the
issue was beyond the airport’s direct control.
Official Statements and Traveler Guidance
The Metropolitan Airports Commission announced the ground stop, later updating that airlines began resuming some operations at MSP around 4:15 p.m. The commission advised that flight disruptions would persist into the evening as carriers recover normal schedules. Sarah Hoodjer reiterated that Des Moines Airport’s delays stemmed from the regional FAA outage impacting air traffic management across the area.
Passengers at affected airports were encouraged to consult their airlines for the latest flight status information during the disruption.
Starting at 4:15 p.m., MSP began a partial resumption of flight operations. The recovery phase is
expected to extend through the evening as airlines work to clear accumulated delays triggered by the FAA system outage on August 6.
