FAA Orders Nationwide US Ground Stop on November 13

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ordered departing aircraft at every US airport to remain grounded from 3:53 p.m. ET on Friday, November 13, 2026, beginning a nationwide ground stop with no stated end time.

The Air Traffic Control System Command Center issued the directive at approximately 3:54 p.m. ET, one minute after Advisory 111 listed the event start at 20:53 UTC. Operators had to keep departing flights on the ground “until further notice,” while inbound international flights would be managed individually.

Advisory 111’s event window extended into November 14, but that range did not amount to a fixed release time. The restriction’s duration depended on subsequent FAA decisions, and the initial order supplied no total flight or passenger impact figure.

A network-wide hold, not a blanket cancellation

Unlike a local ground stop, which usually holds departures bound for one airport during thunderstorms, fog, staffing shortages or congestion, the national order covered the entire US aviation system. It did not automatically cancel every scheduled flight; airlines generally held departures until the FAA modified or lifted the restriction.

Even a short interruption could create longer-lasting operational problems when aircraft and crews could not reach their next scheduled destinations. Potential consequences included widespread delays, missed connections and disruption to international travel, rather than immediate cancellation of the entire flight schedule.

Cause remains unconfirmed

The FAA cited “extraordinary circumstances” and safety concerns but offered no detailed technical explanation. Reports of air traffic control (ATC) communication and equipment problems emerged as restrictions began, particularly around Chicago and other major aviation centres. The agency had not confirmed those reports as the cause, so they remained unverified.

The directive did not require aircraft already in flight to land immediately. Controllers could continue managing airborne traffic in accordance with safety requirements and operational conditions.

Earlier weather warnings remained separate

Earlier on November 13, the FAA separately warned of weather-related flight delays at major airports serving New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Las Vegas and San Francisco. Those regional warnings were distinct from the nationwide departure hold.

Carriers and hubs fell within the scope

The order applied across US airports and was not limited to one airline, aviation hub or geographic region. Major carriers with extensive domestic networks included:

• Carriers: American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, Southwest Airlines, JetBlue and Alaska Airlines.
• Connecting airports: Atlanta, Chicago O’Hare, Dallas/Fort Worth, Denver, Los Angeles, Miami, New York JFK and San Francisco.

Passengers arriving from Europe, Canada, Latin America, Asia and other regions could also face disruption when their itineraries required connections through US airports. The national scope meant that operational holds could affect aircraft, crews and passengers assigned to subsequent destinations.

What does the ground stop change for travellers?

Passengers should check their airline’s official application or website before travelling to the terminal. Travellers with onward flights should monitor the complete itinerary because a delay on the first sector can affect later services even after air-traffic restrictions end.

Airlines may introduce flexible rebooking policies, but each waiver requires confirmation and cannot be assumed to apply universally. Under US Department of Transportation (DOT) rules, passengers whose flights are cancelled may qualify for a refund if they decline alternative transportation offered, subject to applicable conditions.

Additional compensation, meals or accommodation are not automatically guaranteed when delays result from circumstances outside an airline’s control. Passengers can follow FAA air-traffic updates for operational information and consult airlines for flight-specific departure times.

The FAA confirmed the original November 13 order, but its precise cause, total operational impact and the status of any subsequent lifting order still required official confirmation. The order held departures across the country rather than automatically cancelling the national flight schedule.

How long the restriction persisted into November 14, and how quickly aircraft and crew schedules recovered, depended on later FAA decisions. Until the agency documented the cause and scope, neither the full delay exposure nor the timing of network recovery could be established from the initial advisory.