Nationwide FAA Flight Ground Stop Linked to Telecommunications Outage, With No Signs of a Nefarious Attack, Officials Say
- On Friday, November 13, 2026, the Federal Aviation Administration issued a nationwide ground stop for all U.S. departures, citing "extraordinary circumstances and for reasons of safety" after a telecommunications outage disrupted air traffic control systems.
- Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy confirmed the order followed a "communication issue impacting all Air Route Traffic Control Centers," affecting the 22 regional centers that manage U.S. airspace and marking only the second nationwide ground stop since the September 11, 2001, attacks.
- Flight tracking service FlightAware reported nearly 7,000 flights were delayed or cancelled, leaving thousands of passengers stranded in terminals nationwide as airlines paused departures. Aircraft already airborne were permitted to continue to their destinations.
- Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin told reporters there was "no indication yet that this was a nefarious attack against us," characterizing the outage as a "telecommunications outage" rather than a security threat.
- Investigators are probing potential links to the FAA's recent rollout of the $875 million "SMART" artificial intelligence system, while the administration has requested an additional $30 billion from Congress to modernize aging air traffic control infrastructure.
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Morning Digest: All departing U.S. flights grounded due to communication outage; Microsoft outage hits businesses worldwide, India feels impact, and more
The Hindu Morning Digest gives a select list of stories to start the day. Read the top news today on November 14, 2026
BREAKING: FAA ORDERS NATIONWIDE GROUND STOP Over ATC 'Communication Issue' — Sec. Duffy Confirms, Cyberattack Not Ruled Out
The FAA halted all departing flights across the United States Friday afternoon after a communication failure hit every Air Route Traffic Control Center in the country. DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin says a cyberattack has not been ruled out.
US grounds all departing flights nationwide, leaving thousands of travellers stranded
The Federal Aviation Administration notice said the ground stop was being imposed "due to extraordinary circumstances and for reasons of safety." Transportation Secretary said there is a communications issue affecting the 22 regional air traffic control centres.
Flights halted at airports across US due to air traffic control communications problem - American Press
The Federal Aviation Administration grounded all flights nationwide Friday afternoon for just the second time since the Sept. 11 attacks, with officials citing “extraordinary circumstances” caused by communications problems at […]
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