FAA issues nationwide ground stop following air traffic control communications problems

FOX23 News at 9 p.m.

WASHINGTON (KBSI) – The Federal Aviation Administration issued a nationwide ground stop Friday, Nov. 13, temporarily halting departing flights at airports across the United States because of air traffic control communications problems.

The ground stop affected departing flights nationwide as federal officials worked to identify and resolve the issue.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the communications problems affected 22 regional air traffic control centers.

FAA technicians were investigating the disruption.

Aircraft already in the air were permitted to land, but departing flights were temporarily grounded.

The incident marked the first nationwide ground stop since January 2023, when a failure involving the FAA’s Notice to Air Missions system disrupted thousands of flights across the country.

It was not immediately clear how long the ground stop would remain in effect or how many flights were affected.