FAA issues nationwide ground stop due to “extraordinary circumstances”

Updated on: November 13, 2026 / 5:01 PM EST / CBS News

The Federal Aviation Administration on Friday issued a rare nationwide ground stop on all departing flights due to "extraordinary circumstances and for reasons of safety."

"The @FAAnews issued a nationwide ground stop for all U.S. airports following a communication issue impacting all Air Route Traffic Control Centers," U.S. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy said in a social media post. "FAA technicians are investigating the issue. We will provide immediate updates as we have them."

According to the flight tracking site FlightRadar24, there were about 3,100 airborne aircraft bound for U.S. airports when the ground stop began.

The ground stop was posted to the FAA's National Airspace System Status website. Delays were issued at major airports across the country in Boston, Atlanta, Miami, Pittsburgh, New York City, Los Angeles and Baltimore.

"This is absolutely unprecendented," said Robert Sumwalt, a former chair of the National Transportation Safety Board and a CBS News transportation safety expert. "I was an airline pilot for 24 years. I was in the air at on 9/11. That was the last major ground stop. There was one back in 2023 for just a few hours. This…

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