The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) imposed a rare nationwide ground stop on November 13, 2026, affecting all departing flights from U.S. airports due to a communication failure impacting air traffic control systems. By 6:20 p.m. that day, FlightAware reported more than 2,000 flights canceled and over 10,000 flights delayed nationwide.
Air Traffic Control Communication Failure Hits Major Airports
The outage disrupted operations across all 22 U.S. Air Route Traffic Control Centers, which oversee flights flying above 18,000 feet. Major hubs impacted included Newark, JFK, LaGuardia in New York, Orlando International, Denver International, Chicago O’Hare, and Chicago Midway airports. The defect halted all flight departures, grounding thousands of planes
across the country.
Officials Confirm No Evidence of Attack; Cause Under Investigation
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin assured the public that no evidence of a malicious attack has been found. He described the incident as “just a telecommunications outage as of now” and stressed, “This isn’t another 9/11. I cannot repeat that enough.” Mullin indicated the government is investigating all possibilities, including cyberattack risks, but no attack has been confirmed.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy attributed the disruption to a communication failure impacting all Air Route Traffic Control Centers and confirmed FAA technicians are actively probing the cause.
Canadian Airports and American Airlines Also Affected
The impact extended beyond U.S. borders. NAV Canada reported its
own air traffic control systems remained unaffected but said it supported safe airspace management and accommodated possible diversions at Canadian airports including Ottawa and Montreal-Trudeau. Meanwhile, American Airlines reported flight cancellations at its major hubs related to the ground stop.
Investigation Underway; No Link to SMART AI System
The FAA has not announced a timeline for restoring full operations. AirSpace Intel, contractor behind the SMART AI system recently integrated within FAA systems, denied any connection between the ground stop and their technology. Senator Tammy Duckworth called for a comprehensive investigation and outlined the necessity of redundancies in aviation safety. Senator Maria Cantwell stated her Commerce Committee will examine
communication technology issues stemming from the incident.
This ground stop marks only the second such nationwide halt since the September 11 attacks, following a similar event in 2023 caused by a NOTAM system failure. Approximately 3,100 aircraft were airborne en route to U.S. airports during the stoppage, with no additional takeoffs allowed as the FAA sought resolution.
