FAA grounds U.S. flights nationwide over communications failure

The United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ordered a nationwide ground stop Friday afternoon, Nov. 13, halting departing flights across the country following a major communications failure affecting air traffic control centres.

The FAA issued the emergency order shortly before 4 p.m. Eastern Time, citing extraordinary circumstances and safety concerns. The directive required aircraft awaiting departure at U.S. airports to remain on the ground until further notice.

The unprecedented scale of the disruption brought commercial aviation across the United States to a halt, affecting thousands of passengers and creating delays that could extend to international flights, including those travelling between Canada and the U.S.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy confirmed the shutdown was prompted by communications problems affecting all 22 Air Route Traffic Control Centers responsible for managing aircraft travelling between airports.

FAA technicians were investigating the cause of the failure.

Aircraft already in flight were permitted to continue to their destinations and land. International flights entering U.S. airspace were being managed individually.

Government rules out evidence of deliberate attack

The sudden shutdown raised questions about whether the failure involved a cyberattack or another deliberate disruption of critical aviation infrastructure.

U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said investigators had found no indication that the outage was caused by a malicious attack.

Officials described the incident as a telecommunications failure and emphasized that aircraft already in the air remained under safety procedures.

The investigation was continuing as aviation authorities worked to identify the cause and restore normal operations.

Only the second nationwide shutdown since 2001

The emergency order marks one of the most significant disruptions to American aviation in more than two decades.

The last comparable nationwide ground stop occurred on Jan. 11, 2023, when a failure in the FAA's Notice to Air Missions (NOTAM) system prevented pilots from receiving important safety information before departure.

That outage resulted in more than 9,500 delayed flights and over 1,300 cancellations by the end of the day.

Before 2023, the last nationwide suspension of departures followed the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

The latest incident also draws attention to longstanding concerns about aging aviation infrastructure in the United States.

Congress approved $12.5 billion in 2025 to modernize the FAA's outdated communications systems. On Friday, the FAA and White House requested an additional $30.1 billion from Congress to address further infrastructure requirements.

Canadian flights also affected

Although the shutdown applies to U.S. airports, disruptions can extend into Canada because of the close integration of North American aviation networks.

Flights departing Canadian airports for U.S. destinations may be delayed or cancelled when receiving airports cannot accept additional aircraft.

NAV Canada, which manages Canadian civilian air navigation services, said its own systems were not affected. The organization was monitoring the disruption and remained prepared to accommodate aircraft diverted into Canadian airspace.

For travellers in Alberta, the interruption could affect connecting flights through major American aviation hubs, particularly for passengers departing Calgary and Edmonton.

The incident demonstrates how a single failure within a country's air traffic control infrastructure can disrupt transportation far beyond its borders.

The FAA had not announced a confirmed time for the nationwide resumption of departures at the time of reporting.