ATLANTA — The Federal Aviation Administration has ordered a nationwide ground stop on Friday afternoon, halting departing flights at airports across the United States, including Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.

“The FAA issued a nationwide ground stop for all U.S. airports following a communication issue impacting all Air Route Traffic Control Centers. FAA technicians are investigating the issue. We will provide immediate updates as we have them,” United States Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy said.

FAA officials cited “extraordinary circumstances” and safety concerns in its ground stop order.

“Due to extraordinary circumstances and for reasons of safety. Attention all aircraft operators, by order of the Federal Aviation Command Center, all airports are ground stopped. All departing traffic should remain ground stopped until further notice. Inbound international flights will be managed on a case-by-case basis,” The FAA said in a statement to aircraft operators.

The FAA has not said how long the ground stop will remain in effect.

More than 26,281 delays have been reported total on Friday, with 10,543 total delays within, into or out of the U.S., according to FlightAware. More than 2,801 flights have been canceled due to the nationwide ground stop.

FlightAware adds that 759 flights have been delayed while 254 flights have been canceled at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport as of 6:32 p.m.

This marks the first nationwide ground stop since January of 2023, when a FAA computer system malfunctioned, according to officials.

The last time before January 2023 was after the 9/11 attacks.

This is a developing story. Stay with WSB Radio News for updates.