Why did the FAA ground departing flights across the United States?

A communications failure affected all Air Route Traffic Control Centers, prompting the FAA to stop departures at all US airports while technicians investigated. The FAA had not indicated when the ground stop might be lifted, although there were preliminary signs that communications were improving in some places.

How many flights were delayed or canceled during the US FAA ground stop?

Nearly 7,000 flights were delayed or canceled, according to FlightAware. Planes already in the air were allowed to land, but aircraft on the ground could not take off; Robert Mann said disruptions to airline networks could take the weekend to resolve if the stop continued through the evening.

What funding did the White House and Transportation Department seek for US airport and air traffic control upgrades?

The White House and Department of Transportation urged Congress to approve a further $30.1 billion to upgrade the country’s aging airports and air traffic control system. The article also describes equipment and communications failures, controller shortages and aging infrastructure as strains on the system.

US grounds flights nationwide after air traffic control communications outage

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Summary

The US Federal Aviation Administration grounded all departing flights nationwide on Friday after a communications failure affected air traffic control centers, disrupting nearly 7,000 flights. Aircraft already airborne were allowed to land, while planes on the ground could not take off. The outage added to concerns about strain on the US air traffic control system, and officials urged Congress to approve $30.1 billion for upgrades. Airline officials said there was no indication when the ground stop would end, though communications appeared to be improving in some places.

Key Facts

The FAA announced the nationwide ground stop at 3:54 p.m. ET, after halting traffic in Chicago shortly beforehand.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said FAA technicians were investigating the communications issue affecting all Air Route Traffic Control Centers.
The only other nationwide ground stop since the September 11 attacks occurred in January 2023 and lasted less than two hours.
A midair collision at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in January 2025 killed 67 people.
Aviation analyst Robert Mann said that if the ground stop continued through the evening, resolving airline network disruptions would likely take the weekend.

By Reuters

Published Nov 14, 2026 8:27 am KST

People look on at departure screens showing delayed and cancelled flights at Ronald Reagan National Airport (DCA) in Washington, DC, Nov. 13. UPI-Yonhap

WASHINGTON — The US Federal Aviation Administration grounded all departing flights nationwide on Friday after a communications failure hit air traffic control centers, in only the second such shutdown since the September 11, 2001, attacks.

Nearly 7,000 flights were delayed or canceled, according to flight-tracking service FlightAware. Planes already in the air were allowed to land, but those on the ground could not take off.

The disruption is the latest and most dramatic sign of strain on a US air traffic control system beset by equipment and communications failures, controller shortages and aging infrastructure.

“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 in a post on X.

Airline officials said the FAA had not indicated when the ground stop might be lifted, but there were preliminary indications the communications issues were improving in some places.

The world's busiest airspace has experienced setbacks in recent years that have disrupted flights and risked safety. In January 2025, a midair collision at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport killed 67 people. The White House and Department of Transportation urged Congress on Friday to approve a further $30.1 billion to upgrade the United States' aging airports and air traffic control system.

Aviation security concerns

The FAA announced the nationwide ground stop at 3:54 p.m ET (2054 GMT). Shortly before the announcement, the FAA halted traffic in Chicago due to air traffic control communications issues.

"If the ground stop continues through the evening, it likely will take the weekend to resolve the disruptions to airlines' networks," said Robert Mann, an aviation analyst and principal of R.W. Mann & Co.

The only other nationwide ground stop since the September 11 attacks came in January 2023, when the FAA halted domestic departures for less than two hours.

The outage comes amid heightened concern about aviation security worldwide after a wave of hoax bomb threats this month disrupted dozens of passenger flights across Europe, forcing unscheduled landings and prompting fighter jets to escort or intercept aircraft.

There was no immediate indication the US communications failure was related to those incidents or caused by a cyberattack.

The US National Weather Service also said on Friday it was experiencing nationwide internet and communications issues. There was no immediate indication the two incidents were connected.

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