The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ordered a nationwide ground stop Friday afternoon after a communications outage affected air traffic control centers across the United States. The order paused takeoffs at U.S. airports while allowing flights already in the air to land. This ground stop was the second nationwide halt to departures since the September 11, 2001, attacks. The previous one came in January 2023, when the FAA paused domestic departures for less than two hours.
The FAA announced the ground stop at 3:54 p.m. ET on November 13, shortly after halting traffic in Chicago over communications problems. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the issue affected all regional centers that guide planes between airports and that FAA technicians were investigating.
Reuters reported that nearly 7,000 flights had been delayed or canceled, citing flight tracker FlightAware. Airline officials told the outlet that the FAA had yet to say when takeoffs could resume.
What To Do If You Had A Flight Planned
Check your airline’s app or website before leaving for the airport, and turn on flight alerts so you can catch any schedule changes. If the stop puts your connection at risk, check your rebooking options in the app or contact the airline. In situations like this, always keep an eye on your flight status even after takeoffs resume, since airlines may still have delays to work through.
If your airline cancels or significantly delays your flight and you choose to skip the trip, federal rules entitle you to a refund if you decline any alternate flight, voucher, or credit the airline offers. For late arrivals, the U.S. Department of Transportation considers a delay significant at three hours or more for domestic itineraries and six hours or more for international itineraries.
This is a developing story. Travel Noire will update this article as more information becomes available.
