The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) temporarily halted all JetBlue flights early morning on Tuesday, March 10, after the airline requested a ground stop, according to a notice published on the agency’s website. Officials did not immediately explain why JetBlue asked for the halt.
The agency said the airline asked for the ground stop but did not provide additional details. JetBlue had not issued any public statement about the stoppage as of 1:45 a.m. EST. It was still unclear how long the ground stop might continue.
#BREAKING : The Federal Aviation Administration has issued a ground stop for all flights operated by JetBlue Airways across its network.
According to the FAA advisory, the ground stop was implemented at the request of the airline itself. The notice did not specify the reason for… pic.twitter.com/7iQsdJEts0
— upuknews (@upuknews1) March 10, 2026
In addition, one civilian social media post purportedly included an audio from a pilot on JetBlue flight 248 in Salt Lake City, Utah, who claimed the halt was linked to an IT problem. In the audio clips, the pilot was heard saying, “We just got a ground stop for all JetBlue aircraft due to your company IT issues ’til 0530 Zulu. This is our expected update time, so about an hour from now, before we get you moving. Looks like you’re waiting to push.”
JetBlue serves over 100 destinations throughout North America, Latin America, the Caribbean and Europe, providing both domestic service within the United States and international routes. According to the FAA, the ground stop occurred following a temporary shutdown of Newark Liberty International Airport in February due to an aircraft emergency.
The FAA said a JetBlue flight bound for Palm Beach, Florida, reported smoke in the cockpit. The plane then performed an emergency landing at Newark. The airport later reopened and resumed normal flight activity at about 7 p.m., the Port Authority said in a statement.
The Federal Aviation Administration has grounded all JetBlue flights due to a request from the airline, the agency said in a notice on Tuesday. It was not clear why the airline requested the stop or how long it would last. https://t.co/IO0NYkBelX
— The Associated Press (@AP) March 10, 2026
The FAA statement read, “After JetBlue Flight 543 landed safely at Newark Liberty International Airport and exited the runway, the crew of the Airbus A320 reported smoke in the cockpit and evacuated passengers via slides.” It also stated, “The FAA has temporarily paused some arrivals to the airport and will investigate the incident that occurred around 5:55 p.m. local time.”
Officials said passengers were safely evacuated from the aircraft after it returned to Newark Liberty International Airport. According to a Port Authority statement, the flight took off from Newark around 5:45 p.m., heading to West Palm Beach, but soon turned back because of an engine failure. Officials confirmed that no injuries were reported.
All JetBlue flights have been grounded due to IT issues
Via @theATCapp pic.twitter.com/b4JQjmwdLN
— Thenewarea51 (@thenewarea51) March 10, 2026
JetBlue, which is headquartered in New York City and operates its primary hub at John F. Kennedy International Airport, has been a recognized presence in the aviation industry for more than 25 years.
FlightAware tracking data indicated that about 20 JetBlue aircraft were in flight at 12:55 a.m. EST when the ground stop was implemented, suggesting most of the carrier’s fleet was still on the ground ahead of the morning departure schedule.
JetBlue has come under operational scrutiny in recent years. The Transportation Department announced in early 2025 that it imposed a $2 million fine on the airline for running multiple East Coast routes that frequently arrived late. The penalty marked the first time the department had fined an airline for persistent delays.
According to federal data, approximately 71 percent of JetBlue flights were on time during the first nine months of last year, leaving the airline near the bottom among the largest U.S. carriers.
