Federal aviation regulators halted all domestic departures on Friday following an expansive communications failure across nationwide air traffic control facilities. Travelers faced immediate disruption, with Southwest Airlines staff at Las Vegas airport warning passengers that departures could remain halted for up to 24 hours. The rare systemwide stoppage occurred only a day after federal officials formally appealed to Congress for billions in modernization funding to address aging hardware, software, and telecommunications networks.
Key points
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and budget director Russell Vought requested $30…: U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and budget director Russell Vought requested $30.1 billion from Congress just one day prior to modernise air traffic control.
Nationwide groundings remain exceptionally rare, with the last systemwide halt before 202…: Nationwide groundings remain exceptionally rare, with the last systemwide halt before 2023 tracing back to September 11, 2001.
Federal officials warned lawmakers that substantial funding is required to build a resili…: Federal officials warned lawmakers that substantial funding is required to build a resilient telecommunications backbone and update air traffic hardware.
Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1
NEW YORK: United States air regulators on Friday (Nov 13) issued a rare nationwide ground stop for all departing flights, citing a communications problem affecting air traffic control towers, in a move that caused immediate confusion for travellers.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) "issued a nationwide ground stop for all US airports following a communication issue impacting all Air Route Traffic Control Centers", the agency said.
"FAA technicians are investigating the issue."
The FAA has announced similar orders in recent years on individual airlines due to communications issues, usually lasting a couple of hours or less. Systemwide groundings nationwide are far less common.
In January 2023, the FAA called a nationwide ground stop due to problems with the Notice to Air Missions system (NOTAM), which provides information to pilots about hazards, changes to airport facilities and information that can affect flights.
That outage lasted just under two hours and was thought at the time to be the first nationwide grounding since 9/11.
Friday's FAA order came a day after US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy formally asked Congress for US$30.1 billion…
American and British defense authorities confirmed that security personnel safely resolved the security incident at RAF Lakenheath without any impact to aircraft or infrastructure. The disruption arrives amid heightened regional tensions that previously prompted the United States to shift critical military aircraft away from the country. These strategic adjustments were initiated following specific intelligence threats and suspicious approaches linked to Iran at a separate British installation.
Heightened ethnic friction in the state escalated further after assailants targeted travelers before they could rendezvous with an official convoy in Ukhrul district. Security forces, including the Army and Assam Rifles, have launched manhunts amid a surge of retaliatory bloodshed across regional borders. The incident deepens the ongoing instability that has claimed dozens of lives in parallel community clashes this year.
Domestic fuel markets will continue to receive relief through relaxed maritime shipping restrictions under a three-month policy renewal. By temporarily lifting requirements for American-built and crewed vessels, the administration aims to curb severe price spikes on gasoline, diesel, and fertilizer that began following military action against Iran. Officials will evaluate incoming requests individually to maintain commodity flows between domestic ports.