By — Associated Press Associated Press Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/faa-grounds-all-flights-at-u-s-airports-due-to-air-traffic-control-communications-problems Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter FAA grounds all flights at U.S. airports due to air traffic control communications problems Nation Nov 13, 2026 4:41 PM EST WASHINGTON (AP) — The Federal Aviation Administration grounded all flights nationwide Friday afternoon because of communications problems at regional air traffic control centers. The FAA notice said the ground stop was being imposed "due to extraordinary circumstances and for reasons of safety." WATCH: What it will take to update the aging U.S. air traffic control system Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said there is a communications issue affecting the regional air traffic control centers that direct planes between airports nationwide. He said FAA technicians are investigating. This is the first nationwide ground stop since January 2023 when a key FAA computer system malfunctioned. Before that the last time had been after the Sept. 11, 2011 terrorist attacks. A free press is a cornerstone of a healthy democracy. Support trusted journalism and civil dialogue. Donate now…
FAA grounds all flights at U.S. airports due to air traffic control communications problems
In short
The Federal Aviation Administration instituted the nationwide ground stop citing extraordinary circumstances and safety concerns. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy explained that communication issues are actively hindering regional centers responsible for directing aircraft between airports. Technicians from the agency are working to resolve the widespread failure. This severe disruption marks the first nationwide aviation halt since a computer system failure in January 2023.
Key points
- The Federal Aviation Administration grounded all flights on Friday due to extraordinary s…: The Federal Aviation Administration grounded all flights on Friday due to extraordinary safety concerns.
- Regional centers directing nationwide aircraft traffic are directly experiencing the comm…: Regional centers directing nationwide aircraft traffic are directly experiencing the communications failure.
- This event marks the first full nationwide ground stop since a computer malfunction in Ja…: This event marks the first full nationwide ground stop since a computer malfunction in January 2023.