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US grounds all flights for hours over tech issues, prompting travel chaos

November 14, 2026

All flights across the continental United States were grounded for more than four hours on Friday due to instability in air traffic control systems, marking the longest such disruption since the September 11, 2001 attacks. Officials attributed the problem to outdated equipment with overloaded routers producing inconsistent data, ruling out cyber-attacks as the cause. The grounding affected approximately 1.

Who is affected

  • Approximately 1.5 million passengers across the United States
  • Airlines operating flights in the continental US
  • Passengers stuck on planes on tarmacs
  • International travelers on US-bound flights from Europe and Australia's Sydney International Airport
  • UK travelers with cancelled flights and those experiencing delays at Manchester and Heathrow airports
  • The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)
  • US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin

What action is being taken

  • Airlines are clearing a backlog of flights following the lifted ground stop
  • The FAA has thoroughly tested systems to confirm stability and reliability
  • Officials are in constant contact with President Trump regarding the situation
  • Disruption is continuing into Saturday with hundreds of flights being delayed or cancelled

Why it matters

  • This represents the longest flight grounding since the September 11, 2001 attacks, highlighting critical vulnerabilities in America's aging air traffic control infrastructure. The incident demonstrates that outdated equipment poses ongoing risks to the aviation system, with officials warning similar disruptions could occur again without significant infrastructure investments. The disruption affects millions of travelers and has international ripple effects, underscoring the interconnected nature of global air travel and the critical importance of reliable air traffic control systems.

What's next

  • The impact of the ground stop is expected to be felt for a few days as the system unwinds
  • President Trump has requested $30.1 billion for air traffic control infrastructure upgrades from Congress
  • Officials are seeking Congressional approval for a $50 billion overhaul of the air traffic control system
  • Hundreds of flights are expected to be delayed or cancelled into Saturday

Read full article from source: BBC