# Airlines recover from 25-year nationwide ground stop

> U.S. airlines work to resume flights after longest ground stop in 25 years.
- Title: Airlines recover from 25-year nationwide ground stop
- Summary: U.S. airlines work to resume flights after longest ground stop in 25 years. Over 2,000 flights canceled as U.S.
- Keywords: airlines, ground stop, flights canceled, u.s. airports, thanksgiving travel, faa, sports teams, flight disruptions, air traffic control, flight cancellations, travel delays, airports
- Source: NBC Bay Area — https://nbcbayarea.com/news/national-international/flights-canceled-airlines-work-dig-out-nationwide-ground-stop/4176134
- Published: 2026-11-14T14:34:09+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: airlines, ground stop, flights canceled, u.s. airports, thanksgiving travel, faa, sports teams, flight disruptions, air traffic control, flight cancellations, travel delays, airports
## Ground stop impact
Over 2,000 flights canceled Saturday as airlines work to recover from the longest nationwide ground stop in 25 years.
## Ground stop cause
Trump administration officials said new technology overloaded antiquated equipment causing intermittent communications and radar gaps.
## Ground stop duration
The stop lasted more than four hours before being lifted around 8:15 p.m. ET Friday.
## Global effects
Flights to and from the U.S. delayed or canceled at London’s Heathrow Airport including American Airlines flights to Dallas and Los Angeles.
## Passenger stories
Emily Brown waited over four hours at Dallas airport for her flight to Columbus, Ohio before giving up on plans to surprise her daughter’s best friend.
## Sports teams affected
Auburn University's football team took a bus to Mississippi State after pushing back game start time from noon to 4:15 p.m. ET.
## Flight tracking
FlightAware reported over 2,500 flights canceled in the U.S. Saturday with hundreds delayed.
## FAA response
Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy blamed Congress for failing to approve more funding for new technology.
## System upgrades
The FAA has replaced thousands of old copper wires with fiber optic lines and upgraded hundreds of radio systems.
## Past issues
Aging equipment caused brief radar outages last year and a fiber optic line cut in September disrupted flights across the Northeast.
## Expert analysis
Aviation safety expert Steve Arroyo said the nationwide scale left controllers unable to reliably talk to pilots.
## Next steps
The FAA expects the system to return to normal in time for Thanksgiving travel rush.
## Key takeaway

Over 2,000 flights canceled as U.S. airlines recover from the longest nationwide ground stop in 25 years.