FAA Lifts Nationwide Ground Stop, but Disruptions Continue

November 13, 2026

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has lifted a nationwide ground stop that halted all departing flights Friday, Nov. 13, following an air traffic control system outage.

However, the effects of the disruption are expected to linger as airlines and airports work through widespread cancellations, delays and passenger backlogs.

The ground stop, imposed earlier Friday over what the FAA described as extraordinary circumstances affecting safety, resulted in approximately 4,700 flight cancellations and left tens of thousands of travelers stranded across the country.

At a White House briefing, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy attributed the outage to overloaded switches and routers within the nation’s air traffic control infrastructure. He called for $50 billion in upgrades to the system, underscoring concerns about the reliability of technology supporting U.S. air travel.

Sources told news agencies that the problems involved a telecommunications network operated by L3Harris, which handles radio frequencies used by air traffic controllers. The precise cause of the disruption was still being addressed as the ground stop was lifted.

Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said there was no indication that the outage was the result of a cyberattack.

While the FAA’s decision to resume departures marks an important step toward restoring normal operations, travelers should not assume that flights will immediately return to schedule. Airlines must work through the backlog of canceled flights, reposition aircraft and crews, and accommodate passengers whose travel plans were disrupted.

The impact was still being felt Friday night. At Newark Liberty International Airport, passenger Edward Kargbo, 50, was facing an overnight wait after his scheduled 9 p.m. Ethiopian Airlines flight to Lomé, Togo, was disrupted. Rerouted to a 6 a.m. departure Saturday, he planned to spend the night at the airport.

Friday’s ground stop was particularly notable as only the second nationwide halt of all departing flights since the Sept.11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

For meeting and incentive planners, the disruption is another reminder of how quickly air travel interruptions can affect group movements, arrival schedules and event logistics. Attendees traveling Friday or connecting through affected airports may need additional time and assistance to reach their destinations.

Travelers are advised to check directly with their airlines for updated flight information before heading to the airport. Even with the nationwide ground stop lifted, delays and schedule changes may continue into the weekend.