America’s busiest airport faces chaos as flights are grounded over equipment failure
Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson Airport faced a temporary ground stop on Mother's Day due to a runway equipment failure. Flights were delayed as technicians worked to resolve the issue.
Hartsfield-Jackson Airport in Atlanta faced major delays on Mother's Day after the Federal Aviation Administration ordered a temporary ground stop due to a runway equipment malfunction, restricting departures from East Coast airports and slowing arrivals while workers resolved the issue.
At the same time, Newark Airport is experiencing operational difficulties, following two radar blackouts in the last few weeks. These blackouts have raised concerns about air traffic safety and crew shortages, with some controllers going so far as to warn travelers not to fly into Newark.
FAA orders ground stop at Atlanta Airport amid equipment failure
Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson Airport faced a temporary ground stop on Mother's Day due to a runway equipment outage, disrupting flights and slowing arrivals. The FAA has implemented a traffic management program while technicians make repairs to the equipment.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ordered the ground stop at 10:40 a.m. ET for departures from East Coast airports arriving in Atlanta, a restriction that was initially set to last until noon, but dependent on the repair work) could be made to last, by as much as, 60% longer. Arrivals were also impacted, and we expect delays on arrivals due to the runway equipment issue too.
According to FlightAware, at least 264 have been delayed and three canceled by midday. In response, the FAA's Air Traffic Control System Command Center has instituted flow management measures for air traffic, warning that other flight schedules may continue to be impacted.
Newark Airport, are experience operational difficulties
On top of that, Newark Airport has seen extensive delays for two weeks; and on top of that, we’ve had two radar blackouts — the last one happened early Friday as a result of a telecom failure at Philadelphia’s TRACON control center. The previous blackout on April 28 disrupted Newark’s air traffic control tower, and controllers were very concerned.
Reports indicate that some controllers called in “trauma leave” after the incident, and an anonymous source reportedly warned travelers to stay away from Newark Airport because of concerns for safety. Pilots were also reportedly being told to put pressure on their companies to address the ongoing technical issues.
The recent radar failure has raised questions about aviation safety during an overall lapse in staffing for air traffic control. The National Transportation Safety Board is tracking 36 aviation incidents reported year-to-date-70 of which resulted in at least 143 deaths since the beginning of 2025 in the United States.
The Trump administration has tried to manage controller shortages while blaming DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) strategies for challenges in the aviation industry. President Trump has vowed to remove the DEI office from federal agencies after a traumatic midair collision that killed 67 people in January.
