The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a nationwide ground stop for all U.S. flights on November 13, 2026, lasting more than four hours. Beginning shortly after 4 p.m. EST, the order was imposed due to communications failures at regional U.S. air traffic control centers and was lifted at 8:15 p.m. EST the same day.
Flight Suspensions and Cancellations at Canadian Airports
Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) and Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport (YTZ) suspended all U.S.-bound flights during the grounding. Air Canada and Porter Airlines canceled remaining inbound and outbound U.S. flights at these airports for November 13, 2026. The airport authorities at Pearson confirmed ongoing
disruptions and cancellations in U.S. flight operations as airlines worked to restore schedules.
Montreal-Trudeau Airport and Calgary International Airport (YYC) also halted flights to and from the United States during the FAA ground stop. At Calgary International, many passengers were stranded for hours, with some rebooked on flights scheduled for the next day, such as a Denver-bound flight rebooked for 9 a.m. on November 14. Passengers at Calgary and Toronto reported having to arrange overnight accommodations independently, including a $330 hotel room expense cited by a traveler at Pearson.
NAV Canada and Canadian Government Response
NAV Canada, Canada’s air navigation service provider, reported no direct impact
on its operations but implemented traffic management measures at Toronto, Montréal, Calgary, and Vancouver airports. These measures were lifted around 6 p.m. EST. NAV Canada emphasized its efforts to maintain safe and efficient Canadian airspace traffic throughout the disruption.
Canadian Transport Minister Steven MacKinnon offered full cooperation to the FAA and assured that Canada remained ready to support U.S. authorities and accommodate U.S.-bound aircraft as needed during the ground stop. MacKinnon communicated these commitments via social media, signaling Canada’s readiness to assist as the situation evolved.
Operational Impact on Airlines and Passengers
Air Canada indicated that operations would gradually return to normal but expected flight disruptions
to continue into November 14, 2026. WestJet reported close monitoring of the situation while adhering to regulatory guidance.
At Toronto Pearson, airport authorities deployed additional staff throughout terminals, focusing on the U.S. departures area, and implemented an aircraft parking plan to manage grounded planes. Billy Bishop Airport noted domestic flights were operating normally but urged travelers to verify their flight status directly with airlines due to ongoing uncertainty.
Passengers faced long delays, cancellations, and uncertainty at major Canadian airports. Some experienced extended waits on aircraft before being evacuated to the terminals. Many spent hours in terminals or on hold with
airlines, and some canceled plans, including a teacher who missed a concert in New York City. Travelers expressed frustration at having to cover accommodation expenses themselves during rebooking delays.
Cause and Context of the FAA Ground Stop
The FAA attributed the ground stop to extraordinary circumstances arising from communications failures across 22 U.S. regional air traffic control centers. U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy reported that FAA technicians were investigating the cause. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin stated the disruption was due to a telecommunications outage and not linked to any cyberattack.
This nationwide grounding was the first such halt since January 2023, when an FAA computer malfunction caused
a similar suspension, and only the second nationwide stoppage since the September 11, 2001 attacks. Mullin emphasized there was no safety threat comparable to 9/11 during this event.
Divergences at Other Canadian Airports
Ottawa International Airport expected some U.S.-bound flight diversions and handled these flights on a case-by-case basis during the disruption. Montreal-Trudeau and Vancouver airports lifted traffic management restrictions by early evening on November 13, 2026, allowing resumption of flights not requiring transit through U.S. airspace.
Domestic Canadian flights operated normally throughout the incident. International flights not transiting U.S. airspace also continued.
