The Federal Aviation Administration issued a nationwide ground stop for all departing flights on Friday, Nov. 13, 2026, citing extraordinary circumstances and safety concerns.
The directive, which instructed all departing aircraft to remain on the ground until further notice, was prompted by a telecommunication outage throughout the FAA, according to Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, reported by NPR.
The outage impacted the 22 regional air traffic control centers responsible for managing high-altitude aircraft en route between airports, according to NBC Los Angeles.
Mullin finds no sign of attack
Speaking to reporters outside the White House, Secretary Mullin emphasized that the outage did not represent a threat to the American people.
The FAA has temporarily paused departures nationwide. Flights already in the air can continue to their destinations. We expect disruption to our schedule for the rest of the day, depending on the length of the FAA’s nationwide ground stop. It will be all hands on deck across…
“There is no prior indication as of yet that this was nefarious attack against us,” said Markwayne Mullin.
Mullin also said that while officials were not ruling out a cyberattack, they had seen no indication of a malicious act.
We have no indication that the FAA’s nationwide ground stop is related to any Microsoft services.
“Everybody’s safe. Flights are accounted for,” Mullin told reporters.
Mullin added that there was “no reason for the public to be afraid or scared for their loved ones” and stated, “This is not another 9/11.”
The FAA is permitting some transatlantic flights to depart Boston Logan. Passengers are encouraged to check directly with their airline for the latest flight information and updates. pic.twitter.com/UiVZkHqYUg
The Department of Homeland Security is examining the situation through its Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). Mullin also said that investigators will look at whether there is any link to the FAA’s nationwide rollout of a new artificial intelligence system to help identify problems and reroute planes.
Communication issues disrupt air traffic centers
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said that a communication issue is affecting all Air Route Traffic Control Centers, according to SFGATE.
The @FAAnews 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. We will provide immediate updates as we have them.
The FAA halted flights out of an abundance of caution, CNBC reported.
The disruption was first signaled by ground stops at Chicago O’Hare and Midway International Airports, CBS News noted.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is experiencing a nationwide ground stop that is currently affecting airline operations. Please check with your airline directly for flight information prior to your travels. For airport status, please visit: https://t.co/JKuNBVb9Fl.
An aviation source told GeekWire that the outages involved air traffic control radars as well as radio frequencies going out at the same time.
While the ground stop was in effect, the FAA indicated that inbound international flights would be managed on a case-by-case basis, USA Today reported.
Safety is always our top priority, and we are currently in close communication with the DOT and the FAA amid the nationwide ground stop. We appreciate the patience of the traveling public and the dedication of frontline employees who are navigating this situation. Impacted…
The FAA said that even though main radio communications are down, planes are not without the ability to communicate at all. The agency also said that every flight has been accounted for.
The National Weather Service clarified to the New York Times that a viral screenshot suggesting its weather radar was down was “outdated” and that the service had not experienced radar disruptions that day.
The FAA has issued a nationwide ground stop for all flights. Travelers should confirm their flight status with their airline before heading to the airport.
The nationwide grounding delayed travelers and athletic programs across the country.
The Minnesota Gophers football team was unable to depart as scheduled for their game at Penn State, the Star Tribune reported.
In Texas, the Baylor football team was grounded while attempting to travel to Provo, Utah, and the University of Texas was prevented from departing for Baton Rouge, Louisiana, according to NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth.
TCU’s game against Kansas State remained uncertain as of 5 p.m. CT on Friday, with a spokesperson stating the team was grounded with no immediate plan. Additionally, Tennessee’s scheduled departure for College Station was delayed, with the team returning to their facility for dinner while awaiting direction, according to Tennessee Senior Associate AD for Strategic Communications Bill Martin.
The safety of our skies is built on redundancies. Whatever led to the nationwide ground stop will warrant a thorough and complete investigation. As Aviation Subcommittee Ranking Member, I'll be demanding answers from the FAA. https://t.co/kCJts7xBRm
At Los Angeles International Airport, the USC women’s basketball team was among those grounded, NBC Los Angeles reported.
Flight disruptions were widespread. According to flight-data firm Cirium, there were approximately 600 diverted flights on Friday, with 104 sent to different airports. As of 4:40 p.m. ET, nearly 481 U.S. flights had been canceled or failed to depart within 180 minutes of their scheduled time. FlightAware reported nearly 7,000 flights were delayed or canceled as of Friday afternoon.
Issued by the FAA just moments ago, ALL US airports are currently ground stopped. This means NO flights may depart for US airports. Flights already in the air will be allowed to land. This is related to an FAA equipment outage. pic.twitter.com/wgyuOXeF0k
Travelers faced various difficulties. At Detroit Metro Airport, passengers Jack Swan and Ahmed Shalabi faced delays while attempting to reach a Friendsgiving celebration in Washington, D.C. In Romulus, travelers crowded around kiosks for JetBlue, Turkish Airlines, and Royal Jordanian at the Evans Terminal. At Midway, passenger Schwieterman said that many were staying outside security areas to avoid being stuck with checked baggage.
Some flights continued to operate; Alaska Airlines said that flights within Hawaii and Alaska, as well as long-distance flights to and from Honolulu, were continuing. Some international flights from the U.S. were also allowed to depart during the ground stop, according to the New York Times.
TRAVEL ALERT: A nationwide ground stop has been issued by the FAA at DEN and other airports for departing flights. Airborne flights are still able to arrive. Passengers should check directly with their airline for their latest flight status.
Sen. Tammy Duckworth, a Democrat from Illinois and a ranking member of an aviation subcommittee, called for an investigation into the incident, Yahoo News reported.
“Whatever led to the nationwide ground stop will warrant a thorough and complete investigation,” Duckworth wrote on X, according to Yahoo News.
The Commerce Committee is expected to review technology issues involving how aircraft communicate through primary and backup frequencies. The GOP-controlled Senate Commerce Committee said that no new air traffic control centers have been built since the Lyndon B. Johnson administration.
The outage occurred as the government works to modernize aviation infrastructure. Last year, Congress approved $12.5 billion to overhaul outdated technology used by air traffic controllers, Yahoo News reported. The Trump administration has requested an additional $30 billion to modernize the nation’s air-traffic control system, which includes a request for $10.1 billion specifically for air traffic control.
A nationwide ground stop is a rare but major disruption. It appears to be related to FAA's ARTCCs. @FAANews will be updating Congress and the flying public about the problem, but the incident highlights the need to prioritize modernizing ARTCCs over other projects. No new ARTCC… https://t.co/LtWOt0u0mx
Space Intelligence, the company behind the FAA’s SMART airspace planning system, said that the ground stop was not a result of the SMART system or any of its products. The SMART system, which stands for Strategic Management of Airspace, Routes and Trajectories, was developed by the AI company ASI and has been used at Washington, D.C. airports since late September.
This event marks a rare occurrence in recent years. The most notable nationwide ground stop occurred following the September 11, 2001, attacks. The previous instances of nationwide ground stops included a January 2023 failure of the FAA’s Notice to Air Missions (NOTAM) system, which resulted in nearly 10,000 delayed flights and 1,300 cancellations.
The current ground stop is not based on or a result of the SMART system, any product of ASI or our integration with FAA and ATC.
More on Department of Homeland Security
CNN: Source says that the outages across the country involve air traffic control radars, as well as radio frequencies simultaneously going out. The controllers do not have any clarity on the cause and exactly what is going on. pic.twitter.com/w96MyeH3ox