US Air Transport
US flights resume after nationwide ground stop leaves thousands stranded at airports
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on Saturday lifted a nationwide ground stop, allowing some flight departures to resume after widespread disruptions left thousands of passengers stranded at airports across the United States for hours.
Flight operations were severely affected after the FAA issued a rare nationwide ground stop, triggering delays and a wave of cancellations across the country. Some of the busiest airports in the US, including New York's LaGuardia and John F. Kennedy International airports, were among those affected.
Announcing the resumption of operations, the FAA said in a post on X: “The safety of the flying public is always the FAA’s highest priority. The FAA lifted the ground stop and some flight departures are resuming. Before clearing flights to resume, we thoroughly tested our systems to confirm they were stable and that operations remain reliable.”
The safety of the flying public is always the FAA’s highest priority. The FAA lifted the ground stop and some flight departures are resuming. Before clearing flights to resume, we thoroughly tested our systems to confirm they were stable and that operations remain reliable. Passengers should contact their airlines for flight updates.
— The FAA ✈️ (@FAANews) November 14, 2026
The agency advised passengers to contact their respective airlines for the latest information on flight schedules and departures.
Why Did the Flight Disruption Occur?
US Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin attributed the disruption to updates being made to the FAA's air traffic control system.
He said the problem appeared to have occurred after the agency introduced new equipment and technology into its existing infrastructure, overwhelming the older system.
“What it appears to be right now is, as Secretary Duffy and FAA was going in and putting patches into the system, they were putting new equipment and new technology, and that new equipment, new technology… it was overwhelming the older system,” he was quoted as saying by CNN.
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Meanwhile, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned that similar disruptions could occur in the future unless the country's ageing air traffic control infrastructure is modernised.
“You will have more of them unless the American people and the Congress tell us to build, and I can’t wait for that,” Duffy told CNN.
Stranded Travellers Share Their Ordeal
The disruption caused considerable distress to passengers, many of whom had already spent hours travelling before learning that their flights had been cancelled.
Hannah, a US Navy member returning to Florida after deployment, had been travelling for nearly 30 hours when her final flight from LaGuardia Airport was cancelled.
“We were coming from abroad, it’s been multiple days to get here,” Hannah told the New York Post.
“This was the last step to get home, and it just didn’t work out for us,” she added.
Sarai Martinez, a 42-year-old hairstylist who was scheduled to fly home to Boston, also expressed her frustration over the disruption.
“I am irritated and I am tired and I am all of the things,” she told the newspaper.
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