US Lifts Nationwide Flight Grounding After Communication System Failure

The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) lifted its nationwide ground stop on Saturday morning, 14 November 2026, after ordering all departures halted the previous evening due to what it called "extraordinary circumstances and safety reasons". The agency said it had thoroughly tested its systems to confirm they were stable before allowing flights to resume.

The disruption began on Friday afternoon when communication problems were reported at air traffic control centres, initially in the Chicago area. The FAA then extended the ground stop across the country, keeping all departing aircraft on the ground while allowing incoming international flights to be handled on a case-by-case basis. The exact cause of the telecommunications failure has not yet been officially determined.

According to flight tracking service FlightAware, more than 7,700 domestic and international flights to or from the US were cancelled on Friday, with over 8,000 delayed. For Saturday, more than 2,000 further cancellations and at least 300 delays are already reported. Airlines including American Airlines and JetBlue said they were working to restore normal operations, with JetBlue planning to resume flights on Saturday morning.

Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin told reporters at the White House that all aircraft had been accounted for and that there was no safety threat to the public. "The problem will not be solved in just an hour. It will take some time," he said, while urging people not to fear. Officials have pointed to ageing technology as a likely factor, but no evidence of a cyber attack has been found so far.

Passengers are advised to check with their airlines for updates, as disruption is expected to continue through the weekend while carriers reposition aircraft and crews.