FAA Orders Nationwide Ground Stop After Communications Outage: What Travelers Should Do

FAA Orders Nationwide Ground Stop After Communications Outage: What Travelers Should Do

U.S. departures were halted Friday after a telecommunications outage hit regional air traffic control centers. Check your airline before heading to the airport.

If you’re flying out of JFK, LaGuardia, Newark or any other U.S. airport tonight, check your flight with your airline before you leave. The Federal Aviation Administration ordered a nationwide halt to departures Friday afternoon, Nov. 13, after a telecommunications outage disrupted regional air traffic control centers. The FAA said it had accounted for aircraft already in the air and was handling inbound international flights case by case.

Is the ground stop still in effect?

As of 7:15 p.m. ET Friday, no full nationwide lift had been announced in the reporting Cyclolore reviewed. The FAA said some departures could be cleared as regional facilities recover. The Associated Press reported that the order ran through at least 11 p.m. ET; that is not a guarantee that flights will resume at that hour. Officials had not confirmed what caused the outage. Check the FAA’s current airport status for updates.

What to do if you’re flying

Check your airline’s app or website before heading to the airport, and turn on flight alerts. If you have a connection, check both legs. If your flight is canceled or significantly changed, look at rebooking options before accepting a voucher. The U.S. Department of Transportation says passengers are entitled to a refund when their airline cancels or significantly changes a flight and they do not take the changed flight or accept alternative transportation or compensation.

File photo (September 2025): A Delta aircraft at LaGuardia Airport. Nielsoncaetanosalmeron / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0. The site may crop the image for display.

NBC 6 South Florida report on the nationwide FAA ground stop, November 13, 2026.


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