FAA forced to issue ground stops at airports in New Mexico and Arizona as flights get diverted around affected airspace
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Numerous flight diversions were reported by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) after a fire alarm Thursday at New Mexico's Albuquerque International Sunport air traffic control tower reduced staffing.
The FAA issued a ground stop on incoming flights at New Mexico's Albuquerque International Sunport airport due to a fire alarm, according to an advisory.
Flight radar shows planes going around Albuquerque airspace on Thursday. (FlightRadar24)
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Officials later issued ground stops at Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport and Scottsdale Airport in Arizona.
Flights are being directed around Albuquerque airspace.
Air traffic controllers returned to the Albuquerque Air Route Traffic Control Center after the FAA temporarily reduced staffing due to the fire alarm, the FAA wrote in a statement.
No fire was detected, but a ground stop was put in place, according to officials.
ALERT: The FAA has issued a ground stop at the ABQ Sunport. We will provide updates as soon as we receive them. Please check with your airline for the most up-to-date flight information. For media inquiries please contact FAA Public Affairs.
— ABQ Sunport (@ABQSunport) June 26, 2025
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In an X post, Albuquerque Sunport said it will provide updates as soon as they are received.
The FAA did not immediately release the cause of the fire alarm.
Breaking news. This story will be updated.
Alexandra Koch is a breaking news writer for Fox News Digital. Prior to joining Fox News, Alexandra covered breaking news, crime, religion, and the military in the southeast.
