The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration grounded all departing flights nationwide on Friday after a communications failure hit air traffic control centers across the country, disrupting thousands of flights.
The announcement means planes in the air may land, but those on the ground cannot take off. Flight tracking service FlightAware said nearly 7,000 flights were delayed or cancelled due to the nationwide ground stop.
“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. We will provide immediate updates as we have them,” Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said.
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A plane lands after the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration issued a national ground stop “due to extraordinary circumstances and reasons for safety” following the agency’s earlier report of serious air traffic control communications issues at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Arlington, Virginia, U.S., Nov. 13, 2026. Photo by Reuters |
The disruption is the latest sign of strain on the U.S. air traffic control system, which has been beset by equipment failures, communications problems and shortages of controllers while the FAA tries to replace ageing infrastructure.
Congress approved US$12.5 billion for the overhaul in 2025, and the FAA and White House asked lawmakers on Nov. 13 for another US$30.1 billion.
Shortly before the announcement, the FAA halted traffic in Chicago due to air traffic control communications issues. The agency said, “All departing traffic should remain groundstopped until further notice.” The FAA said it would manage international flights on a case-by-case basis.
The Nov. 13 halt was the second nationwide ground stop of all departures since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. The other happened in January 2023, when the FAA paused all domestic departures for less than two hours.