US flights grounded nationwide after air traffic control communications fault, over 13,000 affected

Washington, November 14, 2026: A major technical fault in the communications system of the US air traffic control network forced a halt to flights across the country. More than 13,000 flights were affected, and thousands of passengers faced delays and cancellations.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) lifted the nationwide ground stop after the problem was identified. Flight operations are still expected to take time to return to normal.

According to US officials, the fault was linked to the communications network of the country's air traffic control infrastructure. It affected radar data and the communication systems that controllers use to coordinate aircraft movements.

The problem is said to have begun on Friday at about 3:36 pm local time. It affected several air traffic control centres and Terminal Radar Approach Control (TRACON) facilities.

As a precaution, the FAA ordered a ground stop across the country, under which aircraft due to take off were told to stay on the ground until the situation was assessed.

Officials said more than 3,500 aircraft were in the air when the restriction was imposed. Pilots followed the prescribed safety procedures and the aircraft landed safely. Officials later said fewer than 400 aircraft remained in US airspace when the fault was brought under control.

Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said there was no indication of a cyberattack or artificial intelligence behind the incident. Officials also indicated that the fault had no connection with the Microsoft outage. The technical fault is still being investigated.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy pointed to problems of outdated hardware and an ageing air traffic control infrastructure. He stressed the need to modernise the country's aviation control network. Duffy said President Donald Trump had been trying to secure funding from Congress to upgrade the air traffic management system.

The nationwide ground stop has been lifted, but airlines may now face difficulties in clearing the accumulated delays and rescheduling flights. Passengers have been advised to contact their airline directly for the latest flight timings before heading to the airport.

The incident has again raised questions about the reliability of America's aviation infrastructure. The risks posed by ageing technology in one of the world's busiest air networks are also under discussion.