Thousands of flights were canceled across the country Saturday as airports and airlines worked to get back on track following Friday’s nationwide ground stop, which lasted more than four hours — the longest such shutdown of U.S. airspace since 9/11. At a news conference Saturday morning, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy blamed the outage on “routine maintenance” at a “remote FAA location,” where a contractor identified as L3Harris was replacing older copper wiring with fiber-optic lines. “We will still have delays and cancellations today, but that will set us up for full recovery tomorrow,” FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said.
THE TAKEAWAY
- Thousands of flights were canceled Saturday in the wake of Friday’s historic nationwide ground stop.
- The FAA Administrator said he expected a “full recovery” for US air travel by Sunday.
- The FAA said it issued the ground stop “due to intermittent telecommunications outages.”
- All told, more than 9,100 flights were canceled and more than 24,500 were delayed Friday, according to FlightAware.
Thousands of flights were canceled across the country Saturday as airports and airlines worked to get back on track following Friday’s nationwide ground stop, which lasted more than four hours — the longest such shutdown of U.S. airspace since 9/11.
More than 4,000 flights were canceled by Saturday afternoon, according to aviation-tracking company FlightAware.com.
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(FOX Weather)
The Federal Aviation Administration issued the ground stop just before 4 p.m. Friday, with 3,500 flights in the air at the time. The aviation administration said it issued the ground stop “out of an abundance of caution” because of “intermittent telecommunications outages.”
At a news conference Saturday morning, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy blamed the outage on “routine maintenance” at a “remote FAA location,” where a contractor identified as L3Harris was replacing older copper wiring with fiber-optic lines.
“As we switched from copper to fiber, it started flooding other routers and our air traffic control system. So specifically, we had over 1,000 connection attempts every 4 to 5 seconds,” Duffy said.
Here’s the latest: Operations are slowly returning to normal this morning. Planes are pushing back, taxiing, and taking off, and it is safe to fly. We are in close coordination with the airlines to support the ongoing recovery. You will continue to see some delays and cancellations as carriers reschedule flights and reposition aircraft/crews where they are needed most. Our top priority right now is making sure travelers get home safely to their families as quickly as possible. To our air traffic controllers, pilots, and flight crews who are working around the clock: the nation thanks you for your professionalism and dedication to the flying public. We’ll be holding a press briefing to share additional updates at 10:30AM ET at USDOT headquarters. Please continue to check your flight status directly with your airline, and visit https://t.co/5jvR1ktpk5 for real-time airport updates.
— Secretary Sean Duffy (@SecDuffy) November 14, 2026
FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said he stood behind the decision to order a nationwide ground stop to protect the public as officials tried to pinpoint the source of the telecom outage.
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He said he expected between 4,000 and 5,000 flights would be canceled Saturday to help U.S. air travel back on schedule.
“We will still have delays and cancellations today, but that will set us up for full recovery tomorrow,” Bedford said.
CHICAGO, US – NOVEMBER 13: A view of an information board at the Chicago O’Hare International Airport, filled with waiting passengers on November 13, 2026, after the Federal Aviation Administration ordered a nationwide ground stop on all departing flights following a communication issue impacting air traffic control centers across the United States. With departures held until further notice, travelers waited in crowded terminals as delays mounted, while arriving flights continued to land normally.
((Photo by Jacek Boczarski/Anadolu via Getty Images) / FOX Weather)
The FAA lifted the ground stop at 8:15 p.m. Friday across all airports, after a more than four-hour delay.
There has been a temporary telecommunications outage – out of an abundance of caution all flights have been halted. Every flight has been accounted for and international flights will be handled on a case by case basis.
— The FAA ✈️ (@FAANews) November 13, 2026
A ground stop completely halts arriving traffic at their departure airport for the entire duration of the ground stop.
After the ground stop went into effect, air traffic controllers continued guiding airborne flights to safe landings.
AIRPORT GROUND STOPS VS. GROUND DELAYS: WHAT ARE THEY AND HOW DO THEY HAPPEN?
Stranded passengers said they had to sleep on the airport terminal floor after more than 9,000 flights were canceled on Friday due to the historic nationwide ground stop. FOX News Correspondent Caroline Elliott is in New York’s LaGuardia Airport with the latest travel conditions.
Earlier in the day, U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said that there was no indication of a nefarious attack in regard to the ground stop, and a telecommunication outage was the cause.
“This isn’t another 9/11,” Mullin said. “There is no reason for the public to be afraid or scared for your loved ones.”
The FAA has issued a ground stop affecting departures at ATL and other major airports. Departures are temporarily suspended. Travelers should check with their airlines for flight updates. We will provide an update as more information becomes available.
— Atlanta Airport (@ATLairport) November 13, 2026
On Friday, Secretary Duffy expressed optimism Friday ahead of some of the busiest travel weeks of the year.
“I think we’re going to be back up and operational as we come into the heat of travel during Thanksgiving,” Duffy said.
Travelers were left stranded at airports after a nationwide ground stop was announced by the FAA. Thousands of flights were canceled and delayed, with the fallout spilling into Saturday.
All told, more than 9,100 flights were canceled and more than 24,500 were delayed Friday, according to FlightAware.
Stranded passengers across the U.S. turned to air travel alternatives Friday, with Amtrak reporting higher-than-normal call volumes.
Major airlines advised customers to continue to expect delays.
Passengers jammed check-in counters Saturday, scrambling to rebook flights. Travelers at New York’s LaGuardia Airport told FOX News Correspondent Caroline Elliott that they slept on the terminal floor Friday night; others complained about reimbursement and hotel booking issues.
FOX News Multimedia Reporter Asher Redd is live at Nashville International Airport with the latest on the nationwide ground stop, the second longest U.S. ground stop on record.
The last time a nationwide ground stop was ordered was on Jan. 11, 2023, due to an issue with the system that alerts pilots to flight hazards, which lasted about an hour and a half.
@jo117 We apologize for the error messages on both our website and app, as well as the difficulty reaching a representative. We’re currently experiencing higher-than-normal call volumes due to ongoing airline issues. Furthermore, we recommend trying again later. Thank you.
— Amtrak (@Amtrak) November 13, 2026
Friday’s incident marks the second-longest nationwide ground stop in U.S. history, surpassed only by the roughly two-day shutdown following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
This is a breaking news story. FOX Weather will continue to bring you the latest information as it becomes available.
Source: www.foxweather.com
