Key facts
- The FAA issued the nationwide ground stop at 3:54 p.m. ET on November 13, 2026, citing a telecommunications outage.
- Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said airspace reopened at 8:15 p.m. ET after more than four hours.
- International flights were handled case by case, and some were allowed to depart during the stop.
- Alaska and Hawaiian airlines said Hawaii flights and West Coast to Hawaii routes could continue, per the Economic Times.
- San Francisco International Airport said Pacific-bound flights were cleared, including to Alaska and Hawaii, per the Economic Times.
- Boston Logan said the FAA was allowing some transatlantic flights to depart, per the Economic Times.
The Federal Aviation Administration issued a nationwide ground stop at 3:54 p.m. ET on November 13, 2026, citing a telecommunications outage affecting air route traffic control centers, which handle flights traveling across the country. The order halted departing flights across the United States and lasted more than four hours.
Aircraft already in the air were allowed to continue to their destinations and land during the ground stop. International flights were handled on a case-by-case basis, with some allowed to depart despite the restrictions, according to Al Jazeera.
Alaska and Hawaiian airlines said flights within Hawaii and from the West Coast to Hawaii could continue, the Economic Times reported. Hawaii's Department of Transportation said flights between Anchorage and Oakland and Hawaii could also go on. San Francisco International Airport said Pacific-bound flights were cleared for departure, including to destinations in Alaska and Hawaii. Ontario Airport in California said flights heading west over the ocean were permitted to take off, and Boston Logan said the FAA was allowing some transatlantic flights to depart.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said airspace reopened at 8:15 p.m. ET after more than four hours of disruption. He warned that flights would not resume immediately and would depend on the availability of pilots and flight attendants. On November 14, Duffy said it is safe to fly and that passengers would continue to see some delays and cancellations as carriers reschedule flights and reposition aircraft and crews.