Travelers stranded and thousands of flights canceled after FAA ground stop. Here’s what we know

Updated on: November 14, 2026 / 10:49 AM EST / CBS News

Airspace across the United States slowly began returning to normal on Saturday after a rare national ground stop canceled thousands of flights and stranded travelers.

"Planes are pushing back, taxiing, and taking off, and it is safe to fly," Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said in a social media post on Saturday.

"You will continue to see some delays and cancellations as carriers reschedule flights and reposition aircraft/crews where they are needed most."

More than 3,800 flights were canceled Saturday, according to flight tracking website FlightAware, while around 2,000 others were delayed.

The ground stop began at 3:36 p.m. EST Friday when the FAA ordered the stoppage while approximately 3,500 flights were in the air.

"The FAA issued a ground stop out of an abundance of caution while 3,500+ planes were in the air," Duffy said. All airborne planes were able to land safely.

It was lifted around 8:20 p.m. EST Friday.

This marked the first nationwide ground stop since January 2023, when a key FAA computer system malfunctioned. Before that, the last national ground stop occurred on September 11, 2001.

Around 9,159 flights were canceled on Friday and…

Original source: https://www.cbsnews.com/entertainment/