FAA orders nationwide ground stop, citing 'extraordinary circumstances'

The Federal Aviation Administration issued a nationwide ground stop on all air traffic at U.S. airports Friday due to "extraordinary circumstances." The stop was placed "DUE TO EXTRAORDINARY CIRCUMSTANCES AND FOR REASONS OF SAFETY." The stop requires that all air traffic set to depart U.S. airports remain grounded. Any flights already airborne would be allowed to proceed to their destinations. Officials said the stop would remain in place until further notice. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said Friday afternoon the FAA "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." 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 An air traffic controller who spoke to Scripps News on condition of anonymity, as they were not authorized to speak publicly, said at approximately 3:36pm Eastern Time, they received notice of a frequency issue prompting a ground stop at one airport on the East Coast. Within minutes, two additional control towers reported similar issues. Shortly thereafter the nationwide stop was announced. The individual said at this point, controllers have not yet been told what caused the specific issue or what fixes are underway. They said that some airports appear to be able to continue operations as normal, though others remain impacted by the technological problem. The FAA said incoming flights from international origins would be handled on a "case by case basis." This is a breaking news story. Stay with Scripps News for continued updates.