The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has issued an emergency order grounding all departing flights across the United States on Friday (November 13), citing “extraordinary circumstances.”
The decision comes amid a widespread failure affecting the country’s air traffic control communications, just as approximately 3,100 planes were already airborne and heading toward US airports.
“FAA technicians are investigating the issue,” Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said. “We will provide immediate updates as we have them.”
The extraordinary measure marks the first nationwide suspension of departures since January 2023.
The FAA ordered an immediate nationwide ground stop after a major communications failure
US Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin spoke to reporters shortly after the announcement, assuring the public that there was no indication the disruption was the result of an attack against the United States.
“This is a telecommunications outage. All the flights are accounted for,” he said, adding that “everybody’s safe” and urging people not to compare the incident to “another 9/11.”
Mullin also cautioned against speculation linking the incident to the ongoing disruptions affecting Microsoft Outlook.
When asked how long it would take to resolve the situation, Mullin declined to provide a specific timeframe, saying only that “it’s going to take some time.”
The emergency took place this afternoon (November 13) when aviation authorities detected serious communications problems affecting air traffic control facilities.
According to Reuters, the FAA initially halted flights in Chicago, where controllers were experiencing difficulties maintaining communications.
But the problem soon proved far more extensive.
Shortly before 4 pm Eastern Time, the agency issued an emergency advisory ordering departures across the entire United States to stop.
“All departing traffic should remain groundstopped until further notice,” the FAA stated.
The administration explained that the decision had been taken “due to extraordinary circumstances and for reasons of safety.”.
“The FAA issued a nationwide ground stop for all U.S. airports following a communication issue impacting all Air Route Traffic Control Centers,” Duffy wrote.
The affected centers oversee aircraft traveling through American airspace, coordinating flight routes and providing instructions to pilots between departure and arrival airports.
The United States operates 22 such regional centers.
Among the airports confirmed to have grounded their flights are the Atlanta Airport, Reagan Airport, Miami International, BWI Marshall, and George Bush Intercontinental Airport.
At the same time, the FAA added that delays are possible at the LA International Airport, Harry Reid International, JFK, and Philadelphia International airports.
More than 3,000 planes were already heading toward US airports as departures came to a halt
While the emergency order stopped aircraft from taking off, thousands of planes were already flying when the disruption began.
At approximately 4:34 pm Eastern Time, flight-tracking service Flightradar24 reported that roughly 3,100 aircraft were airborne and heading toward airports in the United States.
The company shared a map showing the extensive number of aircraft approaching American airspace and reported that no additional aircraft were taking off under the nationwide restriction.
The enormous number of flights already in progress presented a separate challenge for air traffic controllers. The FAA said international arrivals would be managed on a “case by case basis.”
According to Reuters, aircraft already airborne could continue toward their destinations and land, while flights on the ground were prohibited from departing.
However, The Guardian reported that the agency had also advised certain aircraft already in flight to circle along predetermined routes rather than immediately proceed with landing, citing equipment outages.
Passengers at Los Angeles International Airport reported being trapped aboard planes
As news of the grounding spread, reports began emerging from passengers caught in the disruption.
At Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), one traveler described an unusual situation in which aircraft that had already landed were unable to reach their gates.
The passenger, who had arrived from Newark, told CBS News that their plane remained on the tarmac because another aircraft was occupying the gate.
That aircraft had been scheduled to depart but was prevented from taking off under the FAA’s emergency order.
As a result, the newly arrived passengers could not disembark.
The disruption threatens to create a chain reaction throughout the country’s aviation network as aircraft unable to complete scheduled journeys may be unavailable for subsequent flights, while crews and passengers can find themselves stranded far from their intended destinations.
The emergency marks the first nationwide grounding of departures in nearly four years
“There is no reason to be concerned about your loved ones if they’re flying.”
DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin reassures travelers as a nationwide FAA ground stop sparks a flood of calls asking whether terrorism is to blame.
Responding to Fox News’ @pdoocy , Mullin says there is no indication of a threat to the U.S.
“This was a telecommunications outage.”
— Fox News (@FoxNews) November 13, 2026
The decision to suspend takeoffs across the entire United States is exceptionally rare.
According to the Associated Press, the last comparable nationwide grounding occurred in January 2023.
On that occasion, a malfunction involving the FAA’s Notice to Air Missions system disrupted the distribution of critical information to pilots. The system provides aviation personnel with alerts concerning potential hazards and operational changes affecting their flights.
The failure forced authorities to temporarily stop domestic departures nationwide.
Flights resumed less than two hours later, although the resulting delays continued affecting travelers after the restriction was lifted.
Before that incident, the previous nationwide suspension had occurred following the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
The latest order has therefore raised serious questions about the reliability of the country’s aging aviation infrastructure.
For years, federal officials have warned that some systems used by American air traffic controllers are due for some extensive modernization.
To fix this, In 2025, Congress approved approximately $12.5 billion to help modernize the country’s air traffic control infrastructure.
The project has included replacing miles of copper cable with fiber-optic lines and installing newer communication systems.
However, substantial work remains. The White House and FAA requested an additional $30.1 billion from Congress to address remaining infrastructure needs.
This is a developing story
