Robert Garcia demands answers as Trump officials offer few details on nationwide ground stop stranding flyers

For only the second time since the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, the Federal Aviation Administration halted airline departures nationwide Friday, ordering planes to stay on the ground as officials investigated an air traffic control communications problem. The outage comes days after the federal government rolled out an aviation system that uses artificial intelligence.Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the issue affected all Air Route Traffic Control Centers. The FAA cited “extraordinary circumstances and for reasons of safety.”“FAA technicians are investigating the issue,” Duffy wrote on X.The Advocate contacted the FAA for comment, but the agency pointed to Duffy’s social media post.Related: Robert Garcia says Democrats are prepared to put Trump officials under oath Garcia presses for answersAppearing on MS NOW with Nicolle Wallace, Rep. Robert Garcia urged the administration to explain the failure and its implications for travelers.“I don’t want to prejudge what could be happening, but it is incredibly serious,” he said.Garcia, who serves on the House aviation subcommittee and will take over as chairman of the House Oversight Committee in January, warned that the disruption would spread through interconnected airline schedules.“When you ground this many flights at once, it causes a ripple effect,” he said.He called for transparency from the FAA, the Transportation Department, and White House, stressing that passengers preparing to board deserved to understand the problem.Waiting at LAXMS NOW’s Eugene Daniels experienced that uncertainty from a plane at Los Angeles International Airport, where he was trying to return to D.C. after attending Thursday night’s Out100 gala.Speaking with Wallace, Daniels said the captain announced the ground stop, then walked through the cabin answering questions. Passengers were told the delay could be brief or require them to leave the aircraft.“I’m looking out the window of the flight, and