Air travel across the United States is gradually resuming after the Federal Aviation Administration lifted a nationwide ground stop imposed following communications failures at multiple air traffic control centres. The restrictions were lifted at 8:15 p.m. Eastern Time on Friday, November 13, but authorities warned that it could take several days for airlines to restore normal operations.
US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the immediate technical problem had been resolved, allowing flights to resume, but cautioned that the recovery would be gradual. “It’s going to be slow,” he told reporters at the White House.
The disruption began on Friday afternoon after instability in radar and communications systems affected air traffic control centres across the country. The FAA ordered the nationwide halt, citing “extraordinary circumstances and reasons for safety”. Duffy said switches and routers in the system had become overloaded with data, producing inconsistencies that prompted officials to suspend operations.
The shutdown caused widespread disruption, with more than 6,600 flights cancelled and 8,600 delayed, according to flight‑tracking data cited by Reuters. Thousands of passengers were stranded at airports, while some aircraft were diverted.
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said there was no indication that the incident was caused by a cyberattack. The outage has renewed concerns about the state of America’s ageing air traffic control infrastructure. Duffy called for a major investment to modernise the system, proposing $50 billion in upgrades.
Although the FAA has confirmed that departures can resume, passengers have been advised to check directly with their airlines before travelling to airports, as delays and cancellations are expected to continue into the weekend. Airlines are also facing the challenge of repositioning aircraft and crews displaced by the shutdown, a process that could prolong disruption even after the technical problem has been fixed.
