As of 5:02 p.m. ET, Nov. 13, 2026: The FAA had not announced an all-clear. The agency's National Airspace System status board still listed a nationwide ground stop at all U.S. airports, with the reason given as an equipment outage.
Quick answer: On Friday, Nov. 13, 2026, the Federal Aviation Administration ordered a nationwide ground stop at all U.S. airports. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the stop followed "a communication issue impacting all Air Route Traffic Control Centers." Departing flights were held on the ground. Flights already in the air were allowed to continue. Inbound international flights were handled case by case. Duffy said FAA technicians were investigating. Officials had not publicly confirmed a more specific cause.
What the FAA ordered
The order took effect at 3:54 p.m. Eastern (2:54 p.m. Central), according to Air Traffic Control System Command Center Advisory 111. The advisory said: "Due to extraordinary circumstances and for reasons of safety. Attention all aircraft operators, by order of the Federal Aviation Command Center all airports are ground stopped. All departing traffic should remain ground stopped until further notice. Inbound international flights will be managed on a case by case basis."
The official status board listed the reason as "EQUIPMENT / OUTAGE." Flightradar24 described the event as an equipment outage affecting air traffic control frequencies. This article does not go beyond those official and contemporaneous descriptions.
Why the "centers" matter
Air Route Traffic Control Centers handle planes in the high-altitude cruise part of a flight, between takeoff and approach. The United States has 22 of them. When those centers have trouble talking to aircraft, the safest move is to stop adding new planes to the sky. That is what a ground stop does: it holds departing flights on the ground. It does not, by itself, cancel every flight or force planes already airborne to land immediately.
How big was it?
- In the air: Flightradar24 counted 4,042 flights airborne and headed to U.S. airports when the order was issued.
- Delays and cancellations: As of about 3:45 p.m. Central, FlightAware showed 7,884 delays and 340 cancellations involving U.S. flights, according to News9.
- Airports affected: Atlanta, JFK, LAX, Reagan National, Miami, BWI, Houston Bush, Las Vegas Harry Reid and Philadelphia all confirmed the stop, the BBC reported.
- Rarity: Flightradar24 said it was the first nationwide ground stop since January 2023. That earlier stop followed a failure in the NOTAM system, which sends critical notices to pilots. It lasted about 90 minutes and affected more than 10,000 flights.
What it means for Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT) was included in the nationwide order. WPXI reported at least 43 delayed flights and four cancellations at PIT as of 4:43 p.m. Eastern. As of 5:02 p.m. ET, the FAA's live PIT status page showed only short gate, taxi and airborne delays of 15 minutes or less. That page reports general airport conditions, not flight-specific status, and is not itself an all-clear. Always check with your airline before heading to the airport.
What travelers should do
Check your flight status directly with your airline, expect knock-on delays into the evening even after departures resume, and watch the FAA's airport status page for real-time conditions.
FAQ
Why were all US flights grounded on Nov. 13, 2026?
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy cited a communication issue affecting all Air Route Traffic Control Centers. The FAA's official status board listed the reason as an equipment outage. A more specific cause had not been confirmed as of 5:02 p.m. ET.
Did planes in the air have to land immediately?
No. Flights already airborne continued to their destinations. The order held departing flights on the ground. Inbound international flights were managed case by case.
How long did the ground stop last?
As of 5:02 p.m. ET, the FAA had not announced an all-clear. Advisory 111 listed an event window through 11 p.m. ET (10 p.m. CT) and an effective period through 11:30 p.m. ET (10:30 p.m. CT), but said departures should stay grounded "until further notice." Check with your airline for current status.
Has this happened before?
Yes. Flightradar24 said the last nationwide ground stop was in January 2023, after a NOTAM system failure. That stop lasted about 90 minutes and affected more than 10,000 flights.