Live updates: FAA says nationwide ground stop due to 'temporary telecommunications outage'
A nationwide ground stop has been issued by the Air Traffic Control System Command Center on Friday, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
FILE - A United Airlines passenger plane departs Chicago O'Hare International Airport in Chicago, Illinois on November 7, 2025. (Photo by KAMIL KRZACZYNSKI / AFP) (Photo by KAMIL KRZACZYNSKI/AFP via Getty Images)
Nationwide ground stop issued
What we know:
In its latest post to X, the FAA stated there was a "temporary telecommunications outage" and out of an abundnace of caution, all flights have been halted.
An earlier advisory posted to the FAA website read:
"DCC has implemented extended flight plan drop times to 240 minutes for all enroute centers due to nationwide comms failure."
FILE - Advisory issued on the FAA website on Nov. 13, 2026. (Federal Aviation Administration advisory website)
An initial advisory posted on Friday stated:
"Due to extraordinary circumstances and for reasons of safety. Attention all aircraft operators, by order of the Federal Aviation Command Center all airports are ground stopped. All departing traffic should remain ground stopped until further notice. Inbound international flights will be managed on a case by case basis."
What they're saying:
What we don't know:
There was no timeline given for how long until the issue was resolved.
Airports and airlines receive ground stop advisories
Local perspective:
U.S. airports and airlines around the country received advisories regarding the nationwide ground stop.
United Airlines
"United Airlines is responding to a nationwide ground stop issued by the FAA. United flights that are already airborne will continue. New domestic flights will not depart while the FAA ground stop remains in place. United will work with our customers to get them to their destinations once this issue is resolved."
Atlanta
"The FAA has issued a ground stop affecting departures at ATL and other major airports. Arriving flights are permitted to land, however, departures are temporarily suspended. Travelers should check with their airlines for flight updates. We will provide an update as more information becomes available. "
The Source: Information for this article was taken from an FAA advisory issued on Nov. 13, 2026, a tweet posted by Transportation Sec. Sean Duffy, and emailed statements from the FAA, United Airlines, and Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta, Georgia. This story was reported from San Jose.