# FAA and Microsoft deny blame for nationwide ground stop

> After thousands of flights were grounded Friday, both the FAA's new AI system vendor and Microsoft said they were not responsible for the outage.
- Title: FAA and Microsoft deny blame for nationwide ground stop
- Summary: After thousands of flights were grounded Friday, both the FAA's new AI system vendor and Microsoft said they were not responsible for the outage.
- Keywords: faa, ground stop, microsoft, air space intelligence, smart system, outage, Business Insider
- Source: Business Insider — https://businessinsider.com/smart-system-microsoft-faa-ground-stop-not-their-fault-2026-11
- Author: Paul Squire
- Published: 2026-11-14T02:23:26.49+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: faa, ground stop, microsoft, air space intelligence, smart system, outage, business, technology
## Thousands of flights grounded nationwide
On Friday afternoon, the Federal Aviation Administration ordered all planes grounded nationwide because of communications issues. More than five thousand flights were canceled.
## Air Space Intelligence denies SMART system caused outage
Some online speculated the problem was related to the SMART system, an AI tool from Air Space Intelligence that monitors air traffic. The company said it was not connected.

> The current ground stop is not based on or a result of the SMART system, any product of ASI or our integration with FAA and ATC.
## Microsoft also denies involvement in ground stop
Microsoft had experienced its own worldwide outage this week. Some wondered if Microsoft was connected to the FAA problem. The company said it had no indication of involvement.

> We have no indication that the FAA's nationwide ground stop is related to any Microsoft services.
## Officials blame outdated equipment for outage
At a White House press conference Friday night, Department of Homeland Security secretary Markwayne Mullin said there was no evidence of cyberattack. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy blamed antiquated equipment that was overwhelmed.
## Duffy demands fifty billion dollars for FAA upgrades
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy demanded fifty billion dollars from Congress to update FAA equipment. The ground stop was lifted Friday night after disrupting air travel nationwide.
## Key takeaway

The FAA grounded over five thousand flights Friday due to communications issues. Microsoft and Air Space Intelligence, which runs the FAA's SMART AI system, both denied responsibility.