More than 20,000 flights were disrupted across the United States after federal aviation authorities ordered a nationwide ground stop lasting four and a half hours, as reported by Detik news.
The Federal Aviation Administration issued the emergency order on Friday, November 13, 2026, citing critical communication failures at air route traffic control centers. International arrivals were managed on a case-by-case basis while departures remained grounded.
The shutdown stands as the longest nationwide flight suspension in the country since the September 11 terrorist attacks in 2001, according to Kompas.com. Passengers faced widespread confusion in airport terminals as thousands of scheduled departures stalled.
Federal officials pointed to aging technology and overburdened routers within air traffic management systems as the root cause of the crisis, according to CNN Indonesia. Aviation experts said that recent transitions from copper wiring to fiber optics have introduced complex interdependencies across communication networks.
“Copper wire cannot be changed, cannot be modified, and cannot be hacked,” aviation safety expert David Soucie told CNN Indonesia, highlighting the vulnerabilities tied to modernizing legacy infrastructure.
FlightAware tracking data showed that more than 3,800 domestic flights were canceled and 2,100 delayed on Saturday, November 14, 2026, as airlines struggled to reposition crews and aircraft, Detik news reported.
“Operations are slowly returning to normal this morning. Aircraft are beginning to leave gates, taxi, and take off; flights are safe to operate at this time,” said US Transportation Sean Duffy in a statement posted on X, as cited by Detik news.
Government officials addressed public anxiety surrounding potential cyberattacks following the massive disruption. Homeland Security dismissed speculation regarding any coordinated cyber assault or links to global Microsoft service outages, Detik news reported.
Members of Congress have called for formal investigations into the communication failures to determine whether national aviation infrastructure remains adequately protected against cyber threats. Meanwhile, federal regulators asked travelers for continued patience during the recovery process.
“We appreciate your patience as operations recover toward normal conditions,” said the Federal Aviation Administration, according to Detik news.
Travelers stranded at airports across the country sought alternative transportation modes, including rental cars, buses, and Amtrak trains, while airlines worked to clear the backlog, Kompas.com reported.
“You may still experience a number of delays and cancellations as airlines reschedule flights and move aircraft and crews to where they are most needed,” Duffy told Detik news.
The Federal Aviation Administration permitted incoming international flights to land on a case-by-case basis while halting all domestic and international departures across US airports, as reported by ANTARA News Bali.
The total departure ground stop remained in effect for approximately four and a half hours before federal regulators lifted the restriction, according to Kompas.id.
Transportation Sean Duffy confirmed that the incident was unrelated to new AI-based FAA systems, attributing the malfunction instead to legacy technological equipment.
Earlier coverage: FAA Issues Nationwide Ground Stop Due to Air Traffic Control Communications Failure
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