FAA Orders Rare Nationwide Ground Stop Across US Airports

WASHINGTON, Nov 13 (OPA) — The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a nationwide ground stop on all departing US flights on November 13, 2026, citing extraordinary circumstances for safety reasons. The Air Traffic Control System Command Center announced the immediate halting of flights at 3.54 pm ET after an unusual radio frequency outage hit multiple high-traffic areas. The ground stop was scheduled to remain in place until 11 pm, while international flights heading toward the US are being managed on a case-by-case basis.

US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy confirmed the order on X at 4.16 pm, stating the action followed a communication issue impacting all Air Route Traffic Control Centers. FAA technicians immediately launched an investigation into the technical failure. While preliminary reports suggested the outage was not caused by a cyberattack, law enforcement sources confirmed that FBI personnel nationwide are monitoring the developing situation.

Air traffic control centers across the country began clearing their airspace to prepare for ATC Zero, a rare emergency status declared when a facility cannot safely maintain aircraft separation due to equipment failure or severe issues. The last nationwide ground stop for departing US flights occurred on January 11, 2023, following a failure in the FAA's Notice to Air Missions system. Prior to that, nationwide airspace closures were implemented following the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001.

Authorities have not yet determined the full extent of the technical failure or when normal operations will resume across the national airspace system. Airlines are advising passengers to check flight statuses directly as the FAA continues to assess the communication breakdown. Further updates from transportation officials and aviation investigators are expected as technicians work to restore full functionality to the affected control centers.