By — Will Weissert, Associated Press Will Weissert, Associated Press By — Josh Funk, Associated Press Josh Funk, Associated Press By — Hallie Golden, Associated Press Hallie Golden, Associated Press Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/thousands-of-flights-canceled-as-airlines-work-to-recover-from-nationwide-ground-stop Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Thousands of flights canceled as airlines work to recover from nationwide ground stop Nation Nov 14, 2026 11:10 AM EST WASHINGTON (AP) — Airlines across the U.S. worked to recover from the longest nationwide ground stop in 25 years that canceled thousands of flights Saturday, stranded hundreds of thousands of passengers, spread ripple effects around the world, and forced pro and college sports teams to scramble for alternate transportation. New technology being added to the nation's air traffic control system overloaded antiquated equipment and caused "intermittent" communications and radar gaps, leading to the flight shutdown of more than four hours, Trump administration officials said. Planes were taking flight and landing Saturday, Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy said. But the effects could be felt for days. Officials say the system will likely…
Thousands of flights canceled as airlines work to recover from nationwide ground stop
In short
The technological failure caused intermittent radar and communication outages, prompting an operational shutdown that lasted more than four hours. Flight tracking services reported thousands of cancellations, with FlightAware recording over 4,100 scuttled flights and Cirium logging more than 3,200. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned that travel disruptions would persist for several days, affecting sports teams and stranding travelers worldwide, though normal operations are projected before Thanksgiving.
Key points
- Federal transportation officials confirmed that planes have resumed flights, but residual…: Federal transportation officials confirmed that planes have resumed flights, but residual travel delays are expected to linger.
- The incident represents only the second nationwide ground stop ordered in the United Stat…: The incident represents only the second nationwide ground stop ordered in the United States since September 11, 2001.
- Authorities stated that passenger safety was never compromised and expect full operationa…: Authorities stated that passenger safety was never compromised and expect full operational recovery before the Thanksgiving holiday.