Nationwide ground stop halts U.S. air travel

The Federal Aviation Administration ordered a nationwide ground stop Friday afternoon after a communications problem disrupted air traffic control centers across the United States. Departures were temporarily suspended at airports, including Seattle-Tacoma International, while planes already in the air continued to their destinations. The FAA said the measure was necessary because of extraordinary circumstances and safety concerns; the disruption was described as only the third nationwide ground stop in modern U.S. aviation history.