Central Illinois airports are being impacted by the nationwide ground stop Friday afternoon.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said there is a problem with air traffic control center communications. Duffy said Federal Aviation Administration technicians are investigating the problem, but there is no indication of how long the ground stop might last.
Peoria International Airport Director of Airports Gene Olson said they received notice at 2:45 p.m. A plane was preparing for takeoff to Chicago and had to turn around.
Central Illinois Regional Airport in Bloomington posted on Facebook at around 3:30 p.m. advising travelers of the ground stop. The statement said all departing flights are on hold.
Olson and CIRA suggested anyone with a flight scheduled for the afternoon or evening contact the airline where they bought the tickets, though he acknowledged lots of fliers nationwide are likely doing the same thing.
The ground stop means no flights can take off, though planes in the air can still land. Olson said small aircraft can take off, but they won’t have access to air traffic control services.
This story will be updated.
