US flight shutdown: FAA reopens airspace as Trump administration blames ageing systems |November 14 Highlights
The US administration attributed the nationwide FAA ground stop to new technology overwhelming the country's ageing air traffic control systems, causing intermittent communication and radar disruptions.
The five-hour shutdown, the longest in 25 years, affected thousands of flights and more than a million travellers, with at least 827 flights diverted.
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said there was no indication of a cyberattack or deliberate act. At the same time, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned that flight operations could take days to return to normal and could not rule out a recurrence.
Key Updates
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Duckworth questions Trump administration over FAA funding
US Senator Tammy Duckworth criticised the Trump administration over the state of the country's air traffic control system. Photo: Wikimedia Commons -
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Sports teams, cargo flights hit by FAA ground stop
The nationwide FAA ground stop left NBA, NHL and college sports teams stranded, while NFL teams faced uncertainty over travel for their weekend games. US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said NCAA teams would be prioritised ahead of Saturday's football fixtures and urged them to coordinate flight schedules with the FAA.
Cargo flights were also delayed, with FedEx preparing contingency plans to minimise disruption. US airlines transport around 61,000 tons of goods daily to and from more than 220 countries, according to Airlines for America.
US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said NCAA teams would be prioritised ahead of Saturday's football fixtures. Photo: AP via PTI -
Mullin rules out national security threat behind FAA ground stop
US Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said there was no indication that a national security threat or deliberate attack caused the nationwide FAA ground stop. He described the incident as a telecommunications outage and said it should not be compared with the September 11, 2001 attacks. Mullin also confirmed that all flights had been accounted for and passengers were safe, while ruling out a link to the Microsoft outage reported a day earlier.
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US-bound flights plunge to 336 during FAA ground stop
At 01:29 UTC, the number of flights worldwide bound for US airports fell to just 336, compared with the usual volume of more than 3,600 at that time, according to flight-tracking service Flightradar24.
Flight traffic above United States around 01:29 am UTC. Photo: X/@flightradar24 -
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Frost calls for answers and accountability over FAA outage
US Congressman Maxwell Alejandro Frost said the impact of the FAA's nationwide ground stop would continue even after the restriction was lifted. Photo: X/@RepMaxwellFrost -
FAA says safety remains top priority as flights resume
The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said passenger safety remained its highest priority as it lifted the nationwide ground stop and allowed some flights to resume. The agency said it thoroughly tested its systems to confirm stability and operational reliability before clearing departures. It advised passengers to contact their airlines for updates.
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 -
“It's not red. It's not blue. It's American”: Duffy seeks FAA funding
US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy urged Congress to approve additional funding for a complete overhaul of the country's ageing air traffic control system. He blamed previous administrations over the past 25 years, claiming that despite $15 billion being allocated to the FAA for upgrades, little progress had been made. Duffy said the $12.5 billion approved under President Donald Trump's administration was an initial investment and called for bipartisan support to provide the remaining funds. He argued that a modernised system would prevent future outages.
“With a brand new state of the art system, we wouldn't have these outages...At 8:15 tonight, eastern time, we've opened up the air space…"Secretary Mullin & Secretary Duffy provide an update on the FAA National Ground Stop. https://t.co/twTyQ9UJQ0
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) November 14, 2026 -
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Over 8,000 flights cancelled across US
More than 8,000 flights were cancelled nationwide after the FAA ground stop, Flightradar24 reported. Chicago O'Hare recorded the highest number of cancellations at 722, followed by Atlanta with 691, Dallas-Fort Worth with 491, and New York's LaGuardia with 438. Denver, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and JFK were also among the worst-affected airports.
On the left is the air traffic before the ground stop and on the right is during the shutdown around 6am IST. Photo: X/@flightradar24 -
Duffy warns FAA outage could happen again without system overhaul
US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said he could not guarantee that a similar disruption would not happen again. He warned that such incidents could recur without a complete overhaul of the ageing air traffic control system. Duffy urged Congress to approve billions of dollars in funding for modernisation. He said authorities would ground flights whenever communication failures pose a safety risk. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin also called for a complete overhaul of the transportation system.
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Mullin rules out cyberattack in FAA outage investigation
US Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said there was “zero evidence” of a cyberattack behind the nationwide FAA communications failure. He said the flight ground stop was a precaution, while Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy blamed ageing routers and equipment and called the outdated system a national security risk.
Secretary Mullin and Secretary Duffy brief press on nationwide FAA ground stop disrupted flights. Photo: Screengrab/YouTube/TheWhiteHouse -
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Duffy blames ageing equipment for nationwide outage
US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said ageing air traffic control equipment and network overload caused the nationwide outage, ruling out recently introduced systems. He urged Congress to approve $50 billion in emergency funding to modernise the “incredibly old” air traffic control network.
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US airspace reopens, but delays to persist
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy confirmed that US airspace reopened at 8.15 pm Eastern time but warned that flight disruptions could continue for several days. He said air traffic recovery would be slow, with fewer than 400 aircraft in the air compared with 3,500 when the ground stop began.
US flight shutdown: Officials blame ageing air traffic system, operations to fully resume by Sunday
The nationwide stop was the first since January 2023, when another key Federal Aviation Administration computer system that sends notices to pilots malfunctioned, and the second since the September 11, 2001, attacks.
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