The United States has lifted a nationwide suspension of departing flights following a telecommunications failure that disrupted air traffic control operations and caused widespread delays and cancellations across the country.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ordered the temporary grounding of all departing flights on Friday, November 13, citing extraordinary circumstances and safety concerns.
The directive, issued at approximately 3:54 p.m. Eastern Time, instructed airlines to keep departing aircraft on the ground until further notice.
The disruption followed communication and radar instability affecting air traffic control centres across the United States, prompting aviation authorities to take precautionary measures to protect passengers and flight crews.
Aircraft already airborne were allowed to continue to their destinations and land safely, while some international flights were handled on a case-by-case basis.
The FAA later lifted the nationwide ground stop at approximately 8:15 p.m. Eastern Time after technicians tested the systems and confirmed that operations were stable enough for flights to resume.
However, the disruption left thousands of passengers stranded at airports, with airlines struggling to reorganise aircraft, flight schedules and crew movements.
According to flight-tracking data, thousands of flights were either cancelled or delayed during the incident, with further disruptions expected as airlines worked to restore normal operations.
US Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said there was no indication that the incident was caused by a deliberate attack or posed a national security threat. He also confirmed that President Donald Trump had been briefed on the situation.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy attributed the problem to ageing air traffic control infrastructure and overloaded communication equipment, calling for urgent investment to modernise the country’s aviation systems.
The incident has renewed concerns about the reliability of America’s air traffic control infrastructure, which has experienced several technical challenges in recent years.
Passengers were advised to contact their respective airlines and check flight updates before heading to airports, as delays and cancellations could continue even after the nationwide suspension was lifted.
