Nationwide FAA Flight Ground Stop Linked to Telecommunications Outage, With No Signs of a Nefarious Attack, Officials Say
FAA technicians are investigating a telecommunications outage that delayed or canceled nearly 7,000 flights, officials said.
- 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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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.
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 […]
FAA Issues Nationwide Ground Stop After Communications Outage Disrupts Flights - Victor Valley News
A nationwide FAA ground stop halted departing flights across the United States on Friday after a communications outage affected air traffic control operations. Ontario International Airport said flights already in the air were being cleared to land at ONT, but no new flights were taking off. Read more at VVNG.com #Ontario #VVNG #News
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