On Friday afternoon, the FAA grounded all planes nationwide, an extraordinary step that brought air travel to a grinding halt. The aviation administration said it halted travel “due to extraordinary circumstances and for reasons of safety.”
U.S. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy also confirmed the flight stoppage on X.
“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.”
The FAA rarely halts traffic coast to coast, leaving many travelers with questions about their flight status and the cause of the grounding. Here’s what we know so far.
Why did the FAA ground all flights on Friday, Nov. 13?
The FAA’s original explanation was that the ground stoppage was necessary “due to extraordinary circumstances and for reasons of safety.” That was a vague and somewhat anxiety-inducing communication, as many Americans associate nationwide ground stoppages with the tragedy of Sept. 11, when flights were also stopped in dramatic fashion.
However, the FAA soon clarified in a statement that the order was issued due to a telecommunications issue.
“There has been a temporary telecommunications outage — out of an abundance of caution, all flights have been halted. Every flight has been accounted for and international flights will be handled on a case by case basis.”
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However, CNN reported this extraordinary quote, citing an unnamed airline source: “Ten minutes ago, they were on a crisis call and there was still no clear answer as to a cause.” More recently, CNN reported that the FAA told airlines that the problem originated with “network routers.”
How many flights have been impacted so far?
According to the Misery Map, a visualization of cancellations and delays produced by the flight-tracking service FlightAware, there have been 2,406 delays and 763 cancellations so far today. At the same time yesterday, FlightAware recorded 410 delays and six cancellations.
Because of the chaotic nature of a sudden ground stoppage, many travelers may be stuck sitting in planes on the tarmac. One Mashable reporter is currently in exactly that situation.
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Airports are warning travelers to check flight status before coming to the airport
In the hours after the FAA grounded all domestic flights, major airports are warning travelers to check their flight status before heading to the airport. The X account of New York City’s John F. Kennedy Airport wrote, “Travelers should confirm their flight status with their airline before heading to the airport.” Dulles International Airport in Washington, DC issued the following advisory to travelers: “Prior to coming to the airport, check with your airline regarding the status of your flight.”
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When was the last nationwide ground stoppage?
The FAA has only grounded all planes nationwide on two prior occasions. It happened for the first time on 9/11, and then again on Jan. 11, 2023. In the latter incident, flights were grounded for just 90 minutes due to issues with the Notice to Air Missions (NOTAM) system. In 2024, the infamous CrowdStrike IT outage led major airlines to issue a global stoppage.
Is the FAA nationwide ground stoppage the result of a cyberattack?
As with yesterday’s global Microsoft outage, online commentators quickly speculated that a cyberattack may have been the cause of the ground stoppage, but there is currently no reason to believe that is the case. The FAA has clearly stated that it’s the result of “a temporary telecommunications outage.”
The FAA’s IT infrastructure is notoriously out of date. Just last week, Mashable reported on the administration’s plans to finally phase out floppy disks — two years from now.
“This is not another 9/11”
Speaking at a news conference, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said, “This is not another 9/11,” according to KOMO News.
“There is no fear to the public. I want to make sure we say this again — there is no reason for the public to be afraid or scared for your loved ones,” the secretary stated.
The FAA recently implemented a new AI system
In recent days, the FAA announced it was expanding the use of an AI tool to help air traffic controllers manage traffic, according to Ars Technica. However, there is no evidence that the current stoppage and the AI rollout are related. That hasn’t stopped frustrated travelers from speculating on a connection, however.
On Friday evening, the company behind the new AI tool stated that there was absolutely no connection between the ground stoppage and its work.
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When will the FAA nationwide ground stoppage end?
Unfortunately, it’s impossible to answer that question. As we already noted, the last nationwide ground stoppage in 2023 lasted approximately 90 minutes, according to the FAA’s communications at the time.
If CNN’s source who claimed the FAA currently has no idea what caused the problem is correct, it could drag on much longer than travelers would like.
We should also note that it’s currently Friday the 13th.
This is a developing story…
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UPDATE: Nov. 13, 2026, 6:59 p.m. EST This story has been updated with additional information.
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