~45,000 daily US flights halted by ATC communications failure
USA - On Friday afternoon, November 13, 2026, the Federal Aviation Administration ordered a nationwide ground stop on all departing flights across the United States. As of approximately 4:00 p.m. EST, takeoffs were halted “due to extraordinary circumstances and for reasons of safety.” The ground stop lasted about 6 hours.
Planes already airborne were permitted to continue and land; no new departures were allowed. International arrivals are being handled case by case.
Today’s event stems from technical communications problems, not an external security threat. Still, the scale—touching the entire national airspace system that routinely handles more than 44,000–45,000 flights and millions of passengers daily—makes the disruption feel exceptional.
