FAA Halts All U.S. Flight Departures Nationwide
A nationwide ground stop on departures Friday afternoon has raised questions about Kansas City Chiefs' travel to Atlanta for Sunday's game.
Updated on Nov. 13, 2026 in Air Travel
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The Federal Aviation Administration issued a nationwide ground stop halting all U.S. flight departures on Friday afternoon, though aircraft already in the air can still land. The FAA has not named a root cause, and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said technicians are investigating the issue.
Why it matters
Because the stop covers departures only, travelers already in transit are not affected, but anyone waiting to fly out faces uncertainty about when service resumes. The disruption also poses a scheduling question for the Kansas City Chiefs, who are due to play in Atlanta on Sunday.
The FAA's posted event window runs through 11 p.m. EST Friday, subject to change. Running back Kenneth Walker III sat out Friday practice with groin tightness and is listed as questionable for Sunday's game.
The players
Federal Aviation Administration
The federal agency responsible for regulating and overseeing the safety of U.S. civil aviation and its national airspace system.
Sean Duffy
The U.S. Secretary of Transportation, who oversees the department that includes the FAA and said technicians are investigating the issue.
Kansas City Chiefs
An NFL franchise based in Kansas City, Missouri, whose Sunday travel to Atlanta may be affected by the ground stop.
The details
The stop followed a rolling frequency outage at control sites that track aircraft aloft, and the FAA attributed it to a communication problem at all Air Route Traffic Control Centers. Traffic in Chicago was halted over controller communications trouble before the national order. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport confirmed arrivals can still land, and as of 4:30 p.m. EST Friday no NFL team had reported a flight disrupted by the stop.
Timeline
Friday, Nov. 13, 2026, afternoon: FAA issues nationwide ground stop on all U.S. departures.
Friday, Nov. 13, 2026, 4:30 p.m. EST: No NFL team has reported a disrupted flight.
Friday, Nov. 13, 2026, 11 p.m. EST: End of FAA's posted event window, subject to change.
Saturday, Nov. 14, 2026: Chiefs' planned charter departure window and reassessment of Walker.
Sunday, Nov. 15, 2026, noon CST: Chiefs vs. Falcons kickoff in Atlanta.
Seasonal Patterns
The January 2023 FAA ground stop lasted 90 minutes, a benchmark against which the length of Friday's nationwide halt in departures can be measured. Prior to that, the only comparable nationwide halt of flights came after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks.
Travelers waiting to depart on flights scheduled after the stop should check with their airline for updated departure times, since the FAA's posted window runs only through 11 p.m. EST Friday and may change. Passengers already aloft can still land as scheduled.
The takeaway
Air travelers should expect uncertainty until the FAA confirms the cause and lifts the ground stop, so monitoring airline notifications is the most practical step. Plans that depend on same-day departures carry the most risk during the event window.
What happens next
The Chiefs' charter departure and Walker's status will be reassessed Saturday, ahead of Sunday's noon CST kickoff in Atlanta.
Further reading
For context on how air traffic disruptions affect flight schedules, see Air Travel coverage.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Heavy.
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