The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) lifted a sweeping nationwide ground stop Friday evening after a telecommunications outage crippled air traffic control systems, paralyzing U.S. air travel for hours in an unprecedented safety move not seen since the 9/11 attacks.
All departing flights were ordered to remain on the ground starting Friday afternoon as the FAA scrambled to address what Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin called a “telecommunications outage throughout the FAA.” While officials stressed there was no immediate evidence of a cyberattack or other malicious act, the scale of the disruption triggered mass cancellations and delays expected to ripple through the weekend.
Second Nationwide Halt Since 9/11
The extraordinary measure marked only the second time since September 11, 2001, that the FAA has grounded all flights across U.S. airspace. Flights already in the air were permitted to land, while international arrivals faced case-by-case evaluations, according to Fox News.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said FAA technicians were “investigating the issue” involving communication failures at all Air Route Traffic Control Centers. The agency provided no immediate explanation for what caused the system-wide breakdown.
Residual Delays Expected
While the ground stop was lifted by evening, aviation analysts warned travelers to brace for prolonged disruptions. “Expect a whole lot of residual delays/cancelations and some start and stops along the way tonight and tomorrow,” CBS News transportation correspondent Kris Van Cleave reported.
The incident comes amid heightened scrutiny of FAA operations following a string of near-miss runway incidents and staffing shortages that have plagued the aviation system over the past year. Officials have yet to specify whether technical failures, human error, or external factors contributed to Friday’s crisis.
Source: www.thegatewaypundit.com — https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2026/11/developing-faa-issues-nationwide-ground-stop-due-air/