US flight chaos: 11,000 delays, cancellations after FAA grounds all departures over outage
The FAA lifted a nationwide ground stop after a communications failure disrupted US air traffic. The outage affected more than 11,000 flights and renewed scrutiny of ageing aviation infrastructure.
- Nov 14, 2026,
- Updated Nov 14, 2026 7:15 AM IST
Thousands of stranded passengers endured long waits and crowded terminals across the United States on Friday after a communications failure forced authorities to ground all departing flights nationwide. The Federal Aviation Administration later lifted the ground stop, which led to more than 11,000 flight delays and cancellations, the Associated Press reported.
The disruption, only the second nationwide ground stop in the US since the September 11, 2001, attacks, also affected flights from Canada and Europe. Authorities said there was no immediate indication of a cyberattack or other malicious activity as officials examined all possible causes of the communications failure.
FAA lifts nationwide ground stop after communications failure
The FAA ordered the nationwide ground stop at 3.54 pm Eastern Time, or 2054 GMT, barring aircraft on the ground from taking off while allowing planes already airborne to continue to their destinations and land. At the time, 4,042 flights were in the air and heading towards US airports, according to Flightradar24.
The agency subsequently lifted the nationwide ground stop on air traffic.
The disruption spread beyond the United States, forcing the cancellation of flights from Canada and Europe as airlines struggled to manage their schedules. Passengers crowded airport departure halls and airline counters from Boston and New York to Seattle and Los Angeles as departure boards filled with delays and cancellations.
According to flight-tracking service FlightAware, more than 11,000 flights were delayed or cancelled, including over 1,000 cancellations and nearly 10,000 delays.
The shutdown also left arriving aircraft waiting on taxiways as airport gates filled up. Before the stop was lifted, airlines said the FAA had not indicated when it would end, although there were preliminary signs that communications problems were improving in some locations.
Trump rules out cyberattack and artificial intelligence link
US President Donald Trump told Fox News that the flight disruption did not appear to have been caused by a cyberattack or artificial intelligence.
Microsoft also said it had no indication that the FAA's nationwide ground stop was related to any of its services. The Department of Homeland Security said there was no immediate indication that the communications failure was the result of a malicious attack.
“There is no indication as of yet that this was a nefarious attack against us. It's just a telecommunication outage as of right now,” Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin told reporters outside the White House, adding that Trump had been briefed.
Mullin said authorities were examining all possible causes, including the possibility of an issue involving a new AI-powered air traffic control system.
“There is no reason for the public to be afraid or scared for your loved ones. This isn't another 9/11,” he said.
US air traffic control system faces renewed scrutiny
The FAA's nationwide ground stop came after it halted air traffic in Chicago shortly before the broader shutdown because of communications problems affecting air traffic control.
The disruption was only the second nationwide ground stop in the United States since the September 11, 2001, attacks. The previous shutdown occurred in January 2023, when the FAA halted domestic departures for less than two hours following a failure of its Notice to Air Missions system, which provides pilots with critical safety information.
The latest outage renewed concerns about the reliability of the US air traffic control system, which has faced repeated equipment and communications failures, staffing shortages and ageing infrastructure.
Much of the FAA's technology is decades old. Last week, the agency said it would phase out floppy disks used to provide weather and other critical information at more than 400 facilities nationwide by the end of 2028.
The White House and the Department of Transportation urged Congress on Friday to approve an additional $30.1 billion to modernise US airports and the air traffic control system.
Ground stop comes amid aviation safety and security concerns
The disruption came amid heightened scrutiny of aviation safety following several incidents in recent years. In January 2025, a midair collision near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport killed 67 people.
The US National Weather Service also reported nationwide internet and communications problems on Friday, although there was no immediate indication that the two incidents were connected.
The disruption also came amid concerns over aviation security after a wave of hoax bomb threats this month affected dozens of passenger flights across Europe, forcing unscheduled landings and prompting fighter jets to escort or intercept aircraft. There was no immediate indication that the US communications failure was linked to those incidents.
Thousands of stranded passengers endured long waits and crowded terminals across the United States on Friday after a communications failure forced authorities to ground all departing flights nationwide. The Federal Aviation Administration later lifted the ground stop, which led to more than 11,000 flight delays and cancellations, the Associated Press reported.
The disruption, only the second nationwide ground stop in the US since the September 11, 2001, attacks, also affected flights from Canada and Europe. Authorities said there was no immediate indication of a cyberattack or other malicious activity as officials examined all possible causes of the communications failure.
FAA lifts nationwide ground stop after communications failure
The FAA ordered the nationwide ground stop at 3.54 pm Eastern Time, or 2054 GMT, barring aircraft on the ground from taking off while allowing planes already airborne to continue to their destinations and land. At the time, 4,042 flights were in the air and heading towards US airports, according to Flightradar24.
The agency subsequently lifted the nationwide ground stop on air traffic.
The disruption spread beyond the United States, forcing the cancellation of flights from Canada and Europe as airlines struggled to manage their schedules. Passengers crowded airport departure halls and airline counters from Boston and New York to Seattle and Los Angeles as departure boards filled with delays and cancellations.
According to flight-tracking service FlightAware, more than 11,000 flights were delayed or cancelled, including over 1,000 cancellations and nearly 10,000 delays.
The shutdown also left arriving aircraft waiting on taxiways as airport gates filled up. Before the stop was lifted, airlines said the FAA had not indicated when it would end, although there were preliminary signs that communications problems were improving in some locations.
Trump rules out cyberattack and artificial intelligence link
US President Donald Trump told Fox News that the flight disruption did not appear to have been caused by a cyberattack or artificial intelligence.
Microsoft also said it had no indication that the FAA's nationwide ground stop was related to any of its services. The Department of Homeland Security said there was no immediate indication that the communications failure was the result of a malicious attack.
“There is no indication as of yet that this was a nefarious attack against us. It's just a telecommunication outage as of right now,” Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin told reporters outside the White House, adding that Trump had been briefed.
Mullin said authorities were examining all possible causes, including the possibility of an issue involving a new AI-powered air traffic control system.
“There is no reason for the public to be afraid or scared for your loved ones. This isn't another 9/11,” he said.
US air traffic control system faces renewed scrutiny
The FAA's nationwide ground stop came after it halted air traffic in Chicago shortly before the broader shutdown because of communications problems affecting air traffic control.
The disruption was only the second nationwide ground stop in the United States since the September 11, 2001, attacks. The previous shutdown occurred in January 2023, when the FAA halted domestic departures for less than two hours following a failure of its Notice to Air Missions system, which provides pilots with critical safety information.
The latest outage renewed concerns about the reliability of the US air traffic control system, which has faced repeated equipment and communications failures, staffing shortages and ageing infrastructure.
Much of the FAA's technology is decades old. Last week, the agency said it would phase out floppy disks used to provide weather and other critical information at more than 400 facilities nationwide by the end of 2028.
The White House and the Department of Transportation urged Congress on Friday to approve an additional $30.1 billion to modernise US airports and the air traffic control system.
Ground stop comes amid aviation safety and security concerns
The disruption came amid heightened scrutiny of aviation safety following several incidents in recent years. In January 2025, a midair collision near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport killed 67 people.
The US National Weather Service also reported nationwide internet and communications problems on Friday, although there was no immediate indication that the two incidents were connected.
The disruption also came amid concerns over aviation security after a wave of hoax bomb threats this month affected dozens of passenger flights across Europe, forcing unscheduled landings and prompting fighter jets to escort or intercept aircraft. There was no immediate indication that the US communications failure was linked to those incidents.