Flights are halted at airports across the United States due to unspecified ‘extraordinary circumstances,’ FAA says

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The Federal Aviation Administration has issued a ground stop for flights across the nation, according to federal officials.

CNN initially reported the ground stop on Friday afternoon, claiming the FAA grounded all flights in the U.S. “due to extraordinary circumstances and for reasons of safety.”

While information about what exactly caused the ground stop has not yet been provided, CNN reported that frequency outages were noted in some parts of the country.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy also took to social media, explaining there was a “communication issue impacting all Air Route Traffic Control Centers.”

“FAA technicians are investigating the issue,” he wrote. “We will provide immediate updates as we have them.”

The @FAAnews issued a nationwide ground stop for all U.S. airports following a communication issue impacting all Air Route Traffic Control Centers. FAA technicians are investigating the issue. We will provide immediate updates as we have them.

— Secretary Sean Duffy (@SecDuffy) November 13, 2026

The FAA said that it is a telecommunications outage.

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

The government has been working to overhaul the outdated technology that air traffic controllers rely on since Congress approved $12.5 billion for the project last year. Miles of old copper wires have been replaced with fiber optic lines and old radio systems are gradually being replaced at airports across the country.

But much work remains. Duffy has said that another $30 billion will be needed to complete the work, and the White House has begun lobbying Congress to approve it.

The problem appeared similar to a regional air traffic control communication outage in September that snarled hundreds of flights across the Northeast, aviation safety expert Steve Arroyo said, except this time on a nationwide scale. It may be linked to the outdated technology used by air traffic controllers.

“If you don’t have that ability, whether it’s because the old wires that they have are just run down or for whatever reason, you’ve got to stop airplanes on the ground,” said Arroyo, who is a former United Airlines pilot. “And not put them in the air where you’re going to risk not being able to communicate with them.”

The Jacksonville International Airport said that travelers should check their flight status with their airlines for the most up-to-date information.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a nationwide ground stop which will affect flights at JAX. Travelers should check flight status with their airlines for the most up-to-date information on their itinerary or for rebooking options.
— JAXAirport (@JAXAirport) November 13, 2026