Just before 1 p.m. on Friday, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued an emergency alert grounding all flights across the country — including all flights out of Santa Barbara Airport (SBA) — due to safety concerns. The FAA is currently investigating the incident.
The alert reads “all departing traffic should remain ground stopped until further notice.”
Shortly after, United States Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy said on X that the FAA issued the alert “following a communication issue impacting all Air Route Traffic Control Centers.”
A representative from Homeland Security told reporters outside the White House that there is no terrorism threat at this time, reported CNBC.
“The FAA has not yet announced an estimate on when normal operations will resume, so continued delays and cancellations are expected,” said Bryan Latchford, City of Santa Barbara’s Public Information Officer.
As for passengers departing from SBA, the airport says that, “travelers should check directly with their airline for latest flight information.”
