A nationwide Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ground stop issued on November 13, 2026, lasted about four hours before lifting shortly before 7:30 p.m. local time. This was triggered by a failure of the FAA’s outdated communications and radar systems during an attempted equipment upgrade.
Flight Disruptions at Chicago O’Hare and Midway Airports
The failure caused significant disruption at Chicago’s two primary airports. Chicago O’Hare International Airport recorded 605 flight cancellations as of 1:43 p.m. on November 14, with delays averaging 28 minutes. Meanwhile, Chicago Midway International Airport experienced 72 cancellations and delays averaging 23 minutes on the same day. Ground stops were implemented at O’Hare at 2:10 p.m.
and Midway at 2:17 p.m. on November 13 due to the equipment outage.
By Saturday night, Midway’s average delays escalated to 65 minutes, and at least three flights were canceled for the morning of November 15.
Passenger Experiences Reflect Wide-Ranging Impact
Travelers faced extensive delays and cancellations. Passenger Vivian Azeredo, whose flight to Dublin lost tower communication mid-flight, described a safe landing but a 6.5-hour wait on the tarmac. Gerard Hill and his wife missed their planned trip to Nashville, being stranded and searching for their luggage amid chaos. Stephanie Hugel missed a connection at Midway by two minutes and was forced to spend the
night at the airport. Dan Throm and his son, en route to an Ole Miss football game in Oklahoma City, awaited transportation and luggage retrieval at O’Hare.
FAA and Official Responses on Cause and Cyberattack Denial
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy attributed the ground stop to the failure of an FAA equipment upgrade and stated it was not believed to be a cyberattack. Dr. Sheldon Jacobson of the University of Illinois described this as the largest grounding since September 11, 2001. The Chicago Department of Aviation clarified that no local infrastructure was part of the affected FAA communications systems.
Airline Recovery Efforts and Continuing Delays
As airlines reposition crews and aircraft, recovery remains slow. Ongoing
delays stem from flight crews reaching allowable duty limits and aircraft being out of position. Passenger Johnny Barginear noted persistent delays but expressed relief at returning home, while Tom McDonald at Midway called for an end to the disruptions. Airlines continue managing cancellations and rescheduling as of November 15.
Wider National and International Impacts
The FAA ground stop caused ripple effects beyond the U.S. Mexico’s Federal Civil Aviation Agency imposed temporary flight restrictions as a precaution. Air Canada canceled flights between Canada and the United States, although Canadian navigation systems were unaffected. Flights to Europe resumed earlier, utilizing different systems. The disruption also affected college
football schedules; Mississippi’s game at Oklahoma was postponed from Saturday to Sunday, and major conferences like the SEC, Big Ten, and Big Twelve adjusted kickoff times to accommodate delayed teams.
