FAA Orders Nationwide Ground Stop of Air Traffic
A temporary telecommunications outage prompted the Federal Aviation Administration to halt flights across the country.
Updated on Nov. 14, 2026 in Air Travel
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The Federal Aviation Administration ordered a nationwide ground stop of air traffic, attributing it to a temporary telecommunications outage. Travelers at airports across the country were stranded as the stop continued.
Why it matters
The nationwide halt left passengers stranded at airports across the United States, including at LaGuardia and JFK in New York City. The stop also drove a surge in demand for Amtrak, whose website and app experienced errors as travelers sought alternatives.
The Federal Aviation Administration ordered the stop nationwide, and no official count of affected flights or passengers was provided in the reporting. The cause remains under investigation by FAA technicians, and Homeland Security has not ruled out any explanation.
The players
Federal Aviation Administration
The federal agency responsible for regulating and overseeing civil aviation in the United States, including air traffic control.
Sean Duffy
The U.S. Transportation Secretary, who oversees the Department of Transportation and commented on the FAA technicians investigating the outage.
Markwayne Mullin
The U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security, who said the department is not ruling anything out regarding the cause of the disruption.
Amtrak
The United States' national passenger rail service, whose website and app experienced errors amid a surge in demand during the ground stop.
The details
The FAA implemented the nationwide ground stop hours before the reporting, citing a temporary telecommunications outage. Passengers were standing by inside LaGuardia Airport as the stop continued across the country.
Timeline
Hours before reporting: FAA implements nationwide ground stop.
November 14, 2026: Live coverage of the ongoing ground stop.
Season Trajectory
A nationwide halt of air traffic underscores how dependent the FAA's air traffic control network is on telecommunications systems that can fail at once. The disruption also pushed travelers toward rail, as Amtrak's website and app buckled under the surge in demand.
Travelers should check their airline's status and rebooking options before heading to the airport, since delays may continue after the ground stop lifts. Rail alternatives such as Amtrak may see heavy demand and website or app errors during the disruption.
The takeaway
A single telecommunications failure can ground flights across an entire country, so travelers benefit from monitoring airline alerts and keeping backup travel options in mind during major disruptions.
Further reading
Track more developments in Air Travel coverage across the country.
Source note: This article includes information reported by FOX 5 New York.
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After this outage, do you still trust air travel to run reliably?
