The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a rare nationwide ground stop on Friday, November 13, suspending departing flights from airports across the United States. The emergency order followed serious communications problems affecting the country’s air traffic control network. Aircraft already in the air were allowed to continue to their destinations and land safely, while incoming international flights were handled individually.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy confirmed that the problem affected all 22 Air Route Traffic Control Centers, which coordinate aircraft flying between airports. FAA technicians began investigating the failure, but officials had not confirmed its exact cause or when normal operations would resume. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin described it as a telecommunications outage and said there was no indication at the time that it was a deliberate attack.

The disruption caused widespread travel problems, with thousands of flights delayed or canceled. Major airports, including those in Chicago, New York, Atlanta and Los Angeles, experienced significant interruptions. Airlines warned that delays could continue even after the restrictions were lifted because aircraft and crews would need time to return to their scheduled positions.

The incident has renewed concerns about America’s aging air traffic control infrastructure. Congress previously approved $12.5 billion for modernization, although officials say substantially more funding will be needed. The last nationwide FAA ground stop occurred in January 2023 after a computer-system failure. Investigators are now working to establish what caused this latest breakdown and how similar disruptions can be prevented.