The FAA nationwide ground stop ordered on Friday has halted all departing flights across the United States, after a communications failure hit air traffic control centres. It is only the third time such a nationwide halt has been ordered in American history.
FAKTA
- What happened: The FAA ordered a nationwide ground stop, halting all departing flights in the United States.
- When: Friday, 13 November 2026. The advisory took effect at 3:54 p.m. ET, with the order issued just before 4 p.m. ET.
- Cause: A communications failure affecting all Air Route Traffic Control Centers.
- Flights affected: Nearly 7,000 flights delayed or cancelled, according to Reuters, citing FlightAware.
- Flights in the air: Aircraft already airborne are allowed to land. Inbound international flights are handled on a case-by-case basis.
- How long: The FAA has given no estimate for when normal operations will resume. The advisory lists an end time of 11:30 p.m. ET, but departures remain grounded until further notice.
What happened
The FAA issued the order “due to extraordinary circumstances and for reasons of safety,” according to its advisory. “Attention all aircraft operators, by order of the Federal Aviation Command Center, all airports are ground stopped. All departing traffic should remain ground stopped until further notice.”
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy confirmed the stoppage shortly after 4 p.m. ET. “The FAA issued a nationwide ground stop for all U.S. airports following a communication issue impacting all Air Route Traffic Control Centers. FAA technicians are investigating the issue,” he said.
Flight tracking company Flightradar24 reported that the order followed an equipment outage, and the FAA advisory also cited frequency issues across the National Airspace System. Shortly before the nationwide order, the FAA had halted traffic in Chicago because of air traffic control communications problems.
FAA nationwide ground stop: what travellers need to know
The ground stop applies to departing traffic only. Aircraft already in the air can continue to their destinations and land, and around 3,100 aircraft were airborne and bound for US airports when the order took effect.
Airports across the country halted departures, including Los Angeles International Airport, where all departures stopped at about 1:45 p.m. Pacific time. At Newark Liberty International Airport, passengers gathered at gates trying to work out what to do about checked luggage, with no airport-wide announcement made almost an hour after the order.
Passengers due to fly on Friday are advised to check with their airline for the latest information before travelling to the airport, as delays, missed connections and further cancellations are expected while schedules are adjusted.
No sign of a cyberattack, officials say
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said a “telecommunication outage throughout FAA” prompted the nationwide stoppage. Speaking outside the White House, he said there was “no prior indication as of yet that this was nefarious attack against us”, adding: “It’s just a telecommunication outage as of right now.”
Mullin said all flights were accounted for and that there would be a priority list to account for planes as they start coming into airports. He also said officials could not rule anything out while the investigation continued, and that the priority was making sure planes already in the air landed safely.
Only the third nationwide ground stop
Friday’s halt was only the third nationwide ground stop of all departures in US history. The previous two came after the September 11, 2001 attacks, and on 11 January 2023, when the FAA’s Notice to Air Missions (NOTAM) system failed.
The January 2023 stoppage lasted nearly two hours, although disruption continued through the day. The FAA’s preliminary review found that contractors had accidentally deleted files while synchronising the primary database with a backup, disabling the system that gives flight crews essential safety information such as runway closures and hazards. Investigators found no evidence of a cyberattack.
After that outage, the FAA rebuilt its NOTAM service and introduced safeguards, including a delay between database updates to prevent a repeat. Friday’s communications failure is the latest sign of strain on the US air traffic control system, which has faced equipment failures, communications problems and controller shortages while the FAA works to replace ageing infrastructure.
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