Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.) on Friday called the Federal Aviation Administration's nationwide ground stop "quite disturbing," pressing for full transparency as the agency investigates a communication failure that halted air travel across the country.
"This is quite disturbing and pretty extraordinary of an action taken," Garcia said during an appearance on MSNBC. "Whatever it is, I think deserves as much transparency as possible."
The ground stop, issued Friday morning, came after a telecommunications outage affected all Air Route Traffic Control Centers, according to Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy. In a post on X, Duffy said FAA technicians were investigating the issue. The agency later confirmed that all flights had been accounted for and that international flights would be handled on a case-by-case basis.
Garcia, a member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, warned that the disruption would have a massive ripple effect. "The impact is going to be immense," he said, adding that the number of travelers grounded would cause "major interruptions and chaos."
The FAA's advisory cited "extraordinary circumstances" and "reasons of safety" for the halt, according to The New York Times, though the advisory was not publicly listed on the agency's website at the time of reporting. The FAA's social media account said the outage was temporary and that the halt was imposed "out of an abundance of caution."
Garcia argued that if the root cause is a technical malfunction, the public needs answers immediately. "If it's a technical issue ... then I think we just need to know what that is immediately," he said.
The congressman's comments come as Garcia has been increasingly vocal on oversight matters, and the incident is likely to fuel scrutiny of FAA operations under the Trump administration. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, a former Republican congressman, has been at the helm since early 2025, and the agency has faced questions about aging infrastructure and staffing shortages.
Friday's ground stop was the most sweeping since a similar event in January 2023, when a computer system failure grounded thousands of flights. That incident prompted calls for modernization of the FAA's systems, but progress has been slow.
Garcia's demand for transparency echoes broader concerns among Democrats about the administration's handling of critical infrastructure. On other fronts, Democrats have pushed for accountability, and this episode is likely to become a flashpoint in upcoming hearings.
As of Friday afternoon, the FAA had not yet provided a timeline for resuming normal operations, and travelers were advised to check with their airlines for updates. The agency said it would continue to provide information as the investigation unfolds.
The ground stop also raises questions about the reliability of the nation's air traffic control network, which has been under pressure from increased travel demand and budget constraints. The administration has focused on regulatory appointments, but infrastructure issues remain a pressing concern for lawmakers on both sides of the aisle.
Garcia's remarks underscore the political stakes: "The amount of people that are going to be grounded across this country is going to cause major interruptions and chaos," he said, urging the FAA to communicate clearly and quickly.
