US airports halt flights nationwide after FAA communications outage disrupts air traffic control

WASHINGTON, DC: Airports across the United States faced major disruptions after the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) grounded flights nationwide on Friday, November 13, following communications problems at regional air traffic control centers. The unusual move affected thousands of passengers, with at least 600 flights diverted as officials investigated the outage.

The ground stop was imposed due to what the FAA described as "extraordinary circumstances" and safety concerns. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said the problem appeared to be a telecommunications outage, adding that there was no indication of a deliberate attack.

The disruption came as more than 11,000 flights carrying over 1.5 million passengers were scheduled to depart US airports after 4 pm ET, raising concerns about further cancellations and delays.

FAA grounds flights nationwide after communications failure

The FAA's decision marked the first nationwide ground stop since January 2023, when a major computer system malfunction disrupted air travel. It was also only the second such nationwide grounding since the aftermath of the September 11, 2001, attacks.

According to Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, the communications issue affected all 22 regional air traffic control centers responsible for directing planes travelling between airports across the country.

The FAA imposed the restrictions "due to extraordinary circumstances and for reasons of safety," according to its notice.

While a few international flights continued taking off from major aviation hubs on the East and West coasts on Friday evening, the wider disruption affected domestic air travel.

Markwayne Mullin rules out signs of deliberate attack

Speaking to reporters at the White House, Homeland Security Secretary Mullin attributed the problem to a telecommunications outage. He said officials had not found any indication that the disruption was caused by a deliberate attack.

"There’s no indication yet that this was a nefarious attack against us. It’s just a telecommunications outage as of right now," he said.

He also tried to reassure families concerned about people travelling during the disruption.

"Everybody’s safe. There’s no reason to be concerned about your loved ones if they’re flying," Mullin added.

However, the ground stop left passengers uncertain about when they would be able to continue their journeys, with officials warning that the effects could extend through late Friday night.

At least 600 flights diverted as US airports face delays

The scale of the disruption was reflected in the number of flights forced to change course. According to aviation analytics company Cirium, at least 600 flights had been diverted as of Friday evening.

Of those, 496 flights were sent back to the airports from which they had originally departed, while another 104 were redirected to different airports.

Chicago O'Hare International Airport, Denver International Airport, Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport were among the airports receiving diverted flights.

At Chicago O'Hare, passengers passing through security discovered the disruption by looking at departure screens showing delays across flights.

The sudden halt also affected passengers with weekend plans, including people travelling home or heading to weddings and other scheduled events.

Passengers frustrated as nationwide flight disruption continues

For many travellers, the announcement came at the worst possible moment, with some already inside aircraft and preparing for takeoff when the restrictions were imposed.

Jeff Dubner, a Washington, DC-based attorney, was aboard an Alaska Airlines flight from Los Angeles to Washington, DC, when the aircraft was stopped. His flight was already around 30 minutes late and taxiing toward the runway when the disruption brought everything to a halt.

"It’s frustrating. This certainly sounds like it’s going to be more than the usual run-of-the-mill delay. I look forward to finding out why," Dubner said.

The FAA lifted the nationwide ground stop at 8.15 pm ET.