A "communication issue" has resulted in a nationwide ground stop which will prevent planes from taking off. International flights will be handled on a case by case basis.
https://x.com/SecDuffy/status/2121351591106072679?a=YbVXPxSTwPSMTag0s3A&s=19
What We Know
- A Nationwide Ground Stop was issued at 3:54 PM Eastern Time (Source: https://www.fly.faa.gov/adv/adv_otherdis?adv_date=11132026&advn=111 )
- Advisory 116 cites "EQUIPTMENT OUTAGES" as the problem (Source: https://www.fly.faa.gov/adv/adv_otherdis?adv_date=11132026&advn=116 )
- Advisory 120 cites "COMMUNICATIONS FAILURE" as the reason for the Ground Stop (Source: https://www.fly.faa.gov/adv/adv_otherdis?adv_date=11132026&advn=120 )
Has This Happened Before?
- The last nationwide ground stop occurred on January 11, 2023 (Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2023_FAA_system_outage )
- The last widespread outage occurred on September 21, 2026 after a fiber-optic cable was severed (Source: https://www.reuters.com/world/us/faa-halts-some-us-east-coast-flights-due-communication-issues-2026-09-21/ )
Airports Reaching Capacity
Since planes cannot take off but planes can still land, some popular airports will meet capacity as the outage continues. Planes will be diverted to other airports when they reach capacity.
- FLL - Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International - https://www.allsafe.app/usa_faa_nas_event.php?id=17c9bbf2-43a6-4e43-bb8c-f55e2eeac156
Needs Further Investigation
- The first airport to issue a Ground Stop for an Equipment Outage today was Chicago ORD at 2:10 PM Central Time (3:10 PM Eastern) https://www.allsafe.app/usa_faa_nas_event.php?id=477a4b56-acd1-4d41-af77-aa8bacd1bac7
- The second airport to issue a Ground Stop for an Equipment Outage today was Chicago MDW at 2:17 PM Central Time (3:17 PM Eastern Time) https://www.allsafe.app/usa_faa_nas_event.php?id=2903bcad-be7b-470e-a605-72ca7ad62905