The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) lifted its nationwide ground stop at about 8:15 p.m. ET on Friday, November 13, 2026, after more than four hours, as flights gradually resumed at airports across the United States.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the instability began at 3:36 p.m. ET, when en route centers and Terminal Radar Approach Control facilities (TRACONs) experienced radar and communications problems after switches and routers on the legacy network were overloaded.
Mullin said President Donald Trump had declared the situation a national emergency, adding that there is no evidence of a cyberattack or rogue artificial intelligence, without ruling either out, and that it was not another 9/11.
According to Reuters and FlightAware, more than 1,000 flights were cancelled and nearly 10,000 delayed, while Cirium reported 827 diversions. About 3,500 planes were airborne when the stop began, falling to fewer than 400 by 8 p.m. It was the first nationwide ground stop since January 2023 and only the second since 9/11, according to Reuters.
Duffy raised his request for emergency funding to fix the air traffic control system from $30.1 billion to $50 billion, after Congress approved $12.5 billion in July 2025. Recovery is expected to be gradual; Delta issued a travel waiver for Friday and Saturday, and passengers are advised to check with their airline before heading to the airport.
Sources: Reuters, USA Today, Associated Press, FAA.
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