On Friday, November 13, 2026, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) imposed a nationwide ground stop for aircraft at all airports across the country. In an official statement, the agency attributed the decision to "extraordinary circumstances and safety considerations." "All departing flights must remain grounded until further notice," the FAA said. The restrictions affected the entire American airport network and effectively paralyzed outgoing air traffic across the United States.
What is Known About the Details of the Decision
According to the agency, the suspension applies specifically to departing flights: all of them must remain on the ground until further notice. At the same time, the FAA clarified that "issues concerning arriving international flights will be handled on a case-by-case basis." Thus, aircraft may enter the country in coordination with air traffic control services, while departures from US airports are completely halted. The agency has not yet specified the exact timeframe during which the restrictions will remain in place.
The Cause: Massive Communications Failure
The nationwide ground stop followed earlier reports from the FAA regarding communication problems within the air traffic control system. Shortly before announcing the nationwide ban, the agency had already suspended traffic in Chicago due to a communication failure with air traffic control. According to Clash Report, the restrictions may be linked to issues on the frequencies of the US National Airspace System (NAS), with several air traffic control centers reporting communication disruptions almost simultaneously. The FAA has not officially disclosed the exact cause of the incident, and an agency spokesperson called the grounding of all departures "an absolutely unprecedented event.">
A Rare Occurrence in American Aviation
As Sky News notes, a nationwide flight ban is an infrequent occurrence in the US, implemented only in emergency situations. The last time a similar measure was used was in January 2023, when the pilot notification system failed. The network suggests that the current ban is related to a technical glitch in the communication system. The scale of the current restrictions, according to experts, exceeds previous incidents because it involves a nationwide, rather than local, suspension of departing flights.
Timeline and Consequences
When exactly the restrictions will be lifted is unknown at the time of publication: the FAA is operating on a "until further notice" basis. For passengers and airlines, this means massive delays and cancellations, rebookings, and flight reschedules nationwide. The FAA continues to gather data on the state of the air traffic control system and, according to reports, does not rule out a phased restoration of traffic as the glitch is resolved. The agency promises to publish updates as information becomes available.
