Telecommunications outage causes nationwide air traffic disruption
The latest in this situation
- FAA ground stop affects Newark and LaGuardia airports, disrupting passenger travel to Belize.
- Mullin attributed the flight disruption and diversions to a telecommunications outage.
- Officials addressed the nationwide flight ground stop on November 13, 2026.
- Initial widespread air traffic problems were reported across Boston, New York, and Chicago on November 13, 2026.
How it started
FAA lifts nationwide ground stop after massive telecommunications outage
What happened
A massive telecommunications outage caused a nationwide ground stop, halting departures across the United States on November 13, 2026. The Federal Aviation Administration cleared flights to resume shortly after 8:15 PM ET that evening. The disruption resulted in thousands of flights being delayed or canceled nationwide.
From redstate.com, dailymail.com
Why it matters
The outage caused significant operational disruption for airlines across the country. Transportation Secretary Duffy warned that even after the airspace reopened, airlines faced a massive backlog of delayed departures and diverted aircraft.
From redstate.com
Who's involved
- Federal Aviation AdministrationU.S. government agency regulating civil aviation
- DuffyTransportation Secretary, who oversaw the FAA
- Markwayne MullinDHS Secretary, who commented on the ground stop as a national emergency
- Donald TrumpPresident of the United States, who offered an early explanation of the disruption
Who could feel it
Possible knock-on effectsThese are possibilities Brind reasoned out, not predictions, and not advice. Most are not stated in any report.
- JetBlue AirwaysSpeculative
JetBlue Airways could face increased operational costs and reduced revenue due to mass flight cancellations and delays.
- United AirlinesSpeculative
United Airlines could face increased operational costs and reduced revenue due to mass flight cancellations and delays.
- Delta Air LinesSpeculative
Delta Air Lines could face increased operational costs and reduced revenue due to mass flight cancellations and delays.
How it developed
Newest first. Tap a step to see who reported it.- FAA ground stop affects Newark and LaGuardia airports, disrupting passenger travel to Belize.Sub-event
- Officials addressed the nationwide flight ground stop on November 13, 2026.Sub-event
Mullin attributed the flight disruption and diversions to a telecommunications outage.1 source
Widespread FAA system disruptions across major US cities prompt political commentary.1 source
Buttigieg led Democrats demanding answers regarding the ground stall and flight cancellations.1 source
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The entities involved
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Federal Aviation Administration
U.S. government agency regulating civil aviation
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Donald Trump
American businessman and politician (born 1946), President of the United States (2017–2021; since 2025)
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Duffy
Welsh singer
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Markwayne Mullin
American politician (born 1977)
Related events
- An FAA air traffic outage on November 1, 2026, linked to Microsoft, prompted political commentary from Mullin and Trump.
- Officials met with Donald Trump to discuss an aviation incident caused by aging air traffic control infrastructure.
- FAA ground stops and air traffic disruptions caused flight delays between Boston, Tampa, and Los Angeles on November 1, 2026.
- FAA issued a nationwide ground stop across the US on November 1, 2026, following a communications failure, which Sean Duffy revealed.
- The FAA and NTSB are jointly investigating an aviation incident concerning presidential travel safety protocols.