On November 14, 2026, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a nationwide ground stop that halted departures across the United States, including major hubs Chicago O’Hare International Airport and Chicago Midway International Airport. The ground stop, triggered by failures in the FAA’s aging communications and radar systems, lasted about four hours and was lifted shortly before 7:30 p.m.
By 1:43 p.m. on November 14, Chicago O’Hare recorded 605 canceled flights, while Midway saw 72 cancellations. Average delays reached 28 minutes at O’Hare and 23 minutes at Midway during the early afternoon. These delays worsened overnight at Midway, with average waits
of 65 minutes and at least three flights already canceled for the morning of November 15.
Traveler Impact at Chicago Airports
The ground stop caused widespread disruption across Chicago airports extending into Saturday and Sunday. Passengers faced prolonged waits, crowded terminals, and missed connections, including Stephanie Hugel who spent the night at Midway after missing a connecting flight by two minutes. Vivian Azeredo, a Dublin-bound passenger, reported losing tower contact midflight and being stranded on the tarmac for 6.5 hours before landing safely.
Stranded travelers also encountered shortages of rental cars and hotel rooms near both airports as demand surged. Dan Throm of Appleton, Wisconsin,
stranded en route to Oklahoma City for a college football game, expressed uncertainty about recovering his luggage amid ongoing delays. The disruption delayed several college football schedules; for example, Mississippi’s game against Oklahoma was moved to Sunday due to travel interruptions.
Cause and Official Responses
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy attributed the ground stop to an equipment upgrade failure in the FAA’s outdated communications system. He stated, “We don’t believe this was cyber at all. This was an FAA system that didn’t meet -didn’t meet the moment.” Homeland Security officials said they do not believe a cyberattack was responsible but have not fully ruled out
the possibility.
University of Illinois expert Dr. Sheldon Jacobson described the scale of the ground stop as rare, noting it was only the second nationwide pause since the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks and the first since January 2023. He cautioned that the failure of any one safety layer in air traffic control can cause significant system-wide disruption.
Operational Challenges and Wider Effects
The initial local ground stops at O’Hare and Midway occurred in the afternoon of November 13, before the nationwide stop was declared the next day. The FAA’s outdated radar and communication equipment suffered instabilities leading to widespread flight cancellations and delays. Flights
to Europe resumed first due to different system usage.
Mexico’s Federal Civil Aviation Agency imposed temporary flight restrictions as a precaution, and Air Canada canceled transborder flights while Canada’s air navigation system remained unaffected. The ripple effects extended to the UK and college football schedules, with conferences like the SEC, Big Ten, and Big 12 delaying kickoff times or rescheduling games to accommodate travel delays.
Passenger Experiences Amid the Disruption
Passengers voiced frustration and exhaustion. Gerard Hill from Chicago said, “From last night, I don’t think I wanna get on a plane no more after this because I don’t know what’s going on actually. they
said it was the FAA communications, but I don’t know it really sounds weird.” Vivian Azeredo recounted the extended tarmac wait midflight, highlighting the disruption onboard.
Dan Throm lamented the challenges retrieving luggage after being stranded at O’Hare, while Stephanie Hugel described being in an airport since 5 a.m. due to delays. Johnny Barginear expressed relief upon returning home despite persistent delays. Tom McDonald called for unity to resolve the issues, stating, “I think it has to end, and I think we all would agree it has to end. We all have to come together and end it, and not
worry about politics.”
