On November 14, 2026, over 10,000 flights arriving at or departing from U.S. airports were delayed or canceled following a nationwide ground stop issued by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on the afternoon of November 13. The ground stop began soon after 3:36 p.m. ET on November 13 and was lifted at 8:15 p.m. ET that evening, triggering widespread disruption continued into the next day.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy confirmed the cause was a communication system failure during a routine upgrade at an FAA remote location. The upgrade involved replacing aging copper wire with fiber optic cable. A router installation
flooded the network, causing data inconsistencies and instability in radar feeds across 17 of 22 en route traffic control centers, although no center lost all communication.
FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford estimated up to 5,000 of the 41,000 scheduled flights on November 14 would be canceled due to the need to reposition crews displaced by the stoppage. Bedford stated, “We will still have delays and cancellations today, but that will set us up for full recovery tomorrow.” He added, “Based on everything that we’re hearing from our airline partners, they believe that they’ll be able to have full schedule integrity by
the close of business on Sunday.” Meanwhile, Transportation Secretary Duffy reiterated his request for $50 billion from Congress to upgrade aging air traffic control systems.
Impact on Key Airports and Airlines
Major U.S. hubs, including Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Chicago O’Hare, New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport, and Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, were among the hardest hit by cancellations and delays. American Airlines, United Airlines, and Delta Air Lines all warned customers to expect disruptions. Delta specifically encouraged passengers to reschedule non-essential travel to November 16 or later.
At Indianapolis International Airport, thousands of passengers faced flight cancellations and difficulties with ticket rebooking. Some airlines
reportedly reassigned seats sold prior to the disruption, leaving travelers without confirmed itineraries. Boston Logan International Airport also saw numerous cancellations, where a therapy dog handler helped comfort stranded passengers with a Great Pyrenees named Belle in Terminal C.
Background on Ground Stop and FAA Infrastructure
This event marked only the second nationwide FAA ground stop since the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks; the previous occurred in January 2023 due to a failure in the FAA’s Notice to Air Missions (NOTAM) system. The FAA Telecommunications Infrastructure involved in this incident is managed by L3Harris, supporting approximately 45,000 daily flights and over 4,400 facilities nationwide.
L3Harris confirmed it
is assisting the FAA’s ongoing investigation into the outage and highlighted the significance of the incident’s impact on airlines and passengers.
Political and Governmental Response
Democratic officials, including New York Governor Kathy Hochul, called for congressional investigations and accountability within FAA leadership. Hochul specifically urged for Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy’s resignation or removal following the communication failure that disrupted national air travel.
Traveler Experience During Disruption
During the ground stop period, about 12,000 scheduled flights, including private, general aviation, and commercial operations, were lost. More than 3,500 airplanes were airborne when the ground stop was issued and all landed safely. Thousands of passengers at major airports faced cancellations,
had to spend hours on phone lines seeking refunds or alternate flights, and experienced extended delays.
Some passengers like Tonya Owens at Indianapolis airport experienced lost reservations and expensive last-minute rebookings. Others, such as Terese Churchill at Boston Logan, faced multiple canceled flights en route to destinations including Seattle. Airlines prioritized flights serving smaller cities and international routes as part of recovery efforts.
