On Friday afternoon, the Federal Aviation Administration issued a rare ground stop at all U.S. airports, citing “extraordinary circumstances and for reasons of safety.” Across the country, departing flights were held for hours before the stop—attributed to a telecommunications outage—was lifted, disrupting travel plans for some 1.5 million people. As planes start to take off again, thousands of passengers are still stuck on the ground.
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Passengers pass a screen showing departures at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, in Washington, D.C., on November 13, 2026. The FAA has issued a ground stop at all U.S. airports because of a communications problem.
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Travelers wait inside Eppley Airfield, in Omaha.
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Planes grounded at Newark Liberty International Airport
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A woman and children wait for news at George Bush Intercontinental Airport, in Houston.
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Signs at a baggage counter at Miami International Airport alert travelers to the nationwide ground stop.
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Crowds fill a departure terminal at Orlando International Airport.
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A passenger sits on an empty baggage carousel at Chicago O’Hare International Airport.
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Passengers wait at Boston Logan International Airport.
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Travelers pass time at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.
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A child inside an airplane on the ground at John F. Kennedy International Airport, in New York City
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Travelers in line to check their bags at St. Louis Lambert International Airport
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Passengers departing LaGuardia Airport, in New York City
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A plane waits on the tarmac at LaGuardia Airport.