FAA Halts Departures Nationwide, Snarling Denver Flights
A nationwide ground stop on departing flights left Denver International Airport with hundreds of delays and several cancellations on Friday.
Updated on Nov. 13, 2026 in Air Travel
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The Federal Aviation Administration issued a nationwide ground stop affecting departing flights, leaving several thousand flights unable to take off or struggling to land. FlightAware reported at least 497 delays and five cancellations at Denver International Airport as of 2:57 p.m. Friday.
Why it matters
Denver International is the largest airport in the country by square mileage, so disruptions there ripple across national air travel schedules. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy cited a possible communication issue as a potential cause.
FlightAware counted at least 497 delays and five cancellations at Denver International as of 2:57 p.m. Friday, with 166 United, 151 Southwest and 120 SkyWest flights among the delays. The total number of affected flights nationwide and the duration of the stop remain unreported.
The players
Federal Aviation Administration
The FAA is the U.S. federal agency responsible for regulating and overseeing civil aviation and the national airspace system.
Sean Duffy
Sean Duffy is the U.S. Secretary of Transportation, who oversees the federal department that includes the FAA.
Denver International Airport
Denver International Airport is a major hub in Colorado and the largest U.S. airport by square mileage.
The details
The FAA cited extraordinary circumstances in issuing the ground stop, which affects all Air Route Traffic Control Centers. Airborne flights are still able to arrive at Denver International Airport, while seven delayed Denver flights had LaGuardia as their original departure point.
Timeline
Friday, November 13, 2026, 2:57 p.m. Mountain Time: FlightAware reports 497 delays and five cancellations at Denver International.
Seasonal Patterns
This nationwide departure halt follows the pattern of FAA-ordered ground stops triggered by system-wide communication failures, such as the September 2023 NOTAM outage. Comparable events have repeatedly tested how quickly the national airspace system recovers from a single point of failure.
Travelers with Friday departures from Denver or connections through affected hubs should check flight status with their airline before heading to the airport. Passengers with tight connections may want to rebook early if delays persist.
The takeaway
A single system-wide communication failure can halt departures across the country and ripple into hub airports like Denver. Checking your flight status before leaving for the airport remains the most practical step during any ground stop.
Further reading
For more on how nationwide disruptions affect travelers, see Air Travel.
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