The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ordered a nationwide ground stop for departing aircraft across the United States on Friday, November 13, following widespread communications failures affecting multiple air traffic control facilities.
The unprecedented disruption began escalating during the afternoon, with the FAA issuing its nationwide ground-stop advisory at approximately 3:54 p.m. Eastern Time. The order halted departures at airports throughout the country while aviation authorities investigated problems affecting communications between air traffic controllers and aircraft.
According to initial reports, the difficulties involved radio-frequency and communications systems at multiple Air Route Traffic Control Centers (ARTCCs), which oversee aircraft operating in controlled airspace across large geographical regions.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy confirmed that the FAA was investigating the communications problems, with technical personnel working to identify the source of the failures and restore normal operations.
Aircraft already airborne were permitted to continue flying and land under air traffic control instructions, while international arrivals were being managed individually. However, the suspension of departures threatened to create extensive delays and cancellations throughout the national aviation network.
Initial reports indicated that Chicago O’Hare International Airport and Chicago Midway International Airport experienced disruptions before the nationwide ground stop was implemented. The extent to which those earlier problems were connected to the broader communications failure remained unclear.
The FAA had not established the underlying cause of the malfunction as of late Friday afternoon. Authorities had not confirmed any connection to a cyberattack, sabotage or other deliberate interference.
The incident raises significant questions about the resilience and redundancy of the communications infrastructure supporting the National Airspace System, particularly the potential for technical failures to disrupt operations across multiple air traffic control regions simultaneously.
Nationwide ground stops are exceptionally rare. In January 2023, the FAA temporarily halted domestic departures after a failure of its Notice to Air Missions (NOTAM) system. The September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks also prompted a nationwide shutdown of civilian air traffic.
Even after normal communications are restored and the ground stop is lifted, airlines could face prolonged operational difficulties as aircraft, crews and passengers are repositioned.
The FAA’s investigation will be critical in determining whether the incident resulted from a shared infrastructure failure, multiple equipment malfunctions or another cause.
The duration of the nationwide ground stop and the full extent of the resulting flight disruptions remained unknown as the situation continued to develop.