# FAA Ground Stop Disrupts U.S. Flights

> U.S. airports ground due to communication outage, affecting thousands of flights.
- Title: FAA Ground Stop Disrupts U.S. Flights · NBC Bay Area
- Summary: U.S. airports ground due to communication outage, affecting thousands of flights.
- Keywords: faa, ground stop, communication issue, airports, flights, u.s. airports, air traffic control, telecommunications outage, homeland security, sean duffy, markwayne mullin, NBC Bay Area
- Source: NBC Bay Area — https://nbcbayarea.com/news/national-international/faa-ground-stop-nationwide-us-airports/4175759
- Published: 2026-11-13T22:33:31+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: faa, ground stop, communication issue, airports, flights, u.s. airports, air traffic control, telecommunications outage, homeland security, sean duffy, markwayne mullin, news
## FAA Ground Stop
The Federal Aviation Administration grounded all flights nationwide Friday afternoon due to extraordinary circumstances and safety concerns.
## Communication Issue
Regional air traffic control centers experienced a telecommunications outage, disrupting flights nationwide.
## Homeland Security Response
Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin stated there was no indication of a nefarious attack, just a telecommunications outage.

> it's just a telecommunications outage
## Flight Disruptions
Nearly 481 flights were canceled or delayed within 180 minutes of scheduled departure time as of 4:40 p.m. Eastern Friday.
## Affected Airports
Most disrupted flights originated from New York, San Francisco, and Boston airports.
## Passenger Impact
Travelers faced uncertainty about whether to stay overnight or find alternative routes to their destinations.
## Investigation
The FAA is investigating potential links to the new AI system for identifying problems and rerouting planes.
## Key takeaway

The FAA ordered a nationwide ground stop for safety after a communication issue at regional air traffic control centers.