Last Updated on November 14, 2026 11:59 am by INDIAN AWAAZ
AMN/ WEB DESK
The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) today temporarily halted departing flights across the country following a telecommunications failure that affected air traffic control centres, disrupting thousands of flights across the country.
According to flight-tracking services, nearly 7,000 flights were delayed or cancelled following the ground stop. The FAA said the communications outage affected all 22 Air Route Traffic Control Centres across the United States, prompting the suspension of departures as a precautionary measure.
Later, the US authorities lifted the nationwide ground stop that disrupted thousands of flights and stranded passengers across the country, clearing the way for airlines to resume operations after more than four hours.
Meanwhile, US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said, FAA technicians are investigating the communications failure. Aircraft already in the air were allowed to land, while departing flights were temporarily suspended.
The disruption initially affected air traffic control operations in Chicago before the FAA extended the restrictions nationwide.
US Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said there was no indication that the incident was linked to a security threat or deliberate attack. He assured the public that passengers were safe and all aircraft had been accounted for, while cautioning that restoring normal operations could take time.
Mr Mullin said authorities were examining all possible causes of the telecommunications failure, including a potential connection with the planned introduction of a new artificial intelligence tool designed to assist air traffic controllers. He also confirmed that President Donald Trump has been briefed on the situation.
The incident marks the second nationwide suspension of US flight departures since the terrorist attack on 11th of September in 2001.