Planes resumed flying across the United States after a telecommunications outage forced a nationwide ground stop on Saturday though persistent delays rippled through international hubs.
More than 5,000 flights faced cancellation and nearly 10,000 suffered delays globally as the Federal Aviation Administration halted traffic, according to nine.com.au. The disruption marked only the third national ground stop in the country this century, following the 2001 September 11 attacks and a 2023 pilot notification system failure.
“There was there was never any lives at risk. There was no flights at risk. FAA was able to handle it. We did it out of an abundance of caution,” said Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin during a White House press briefing reported by nine.com.au.
The FAA-mandated ground stop has been lifted and we are safely resuming flights. We encourage you to check the Delta app or https://t.co/19TGEJUCaj for flight status and the latest updates. Thank you for your understanding as we work as quickly as possible to fully restore…
Transport Secretary Sean Duffy blamed the failure on network routers becoming overwhelmed with data. He pointed to an aging air traffic control network that required a $50 billion overhaul.
Infrastructure strain versus safety
While the Federal Aviation Administration pointed to technical router issues starting at Chicago Midway International Airport, the Trump administration pushed for long-term modernization funding. Duffy told reporters that controllers lost critical automation tools and frequencies during the peak of the glitch.
“What we have is an incredibly old air traffic control system,” Duffy said, according to nine.com.au. He added that routers began providing inconsistent data streams, forcing officials to shut the network down.
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported that Eurocontrol suspended all US-bound traffic from its 42 member states at the request of American aviation regulators. Flight tracking data showed that roughly 10,500 total flights experienced disruptions.
An FAA-issued nationwide ground stop is currently in effect. No Delta flights are departing at this time. Flights already enroute will continue to their destinations. A travel waiver is in place to allow customers to change their flight at no extra cost.…
Law enforcement officials confirmed to CNN that investigators found no indication of a cyber-attack or malicious actor involvement. Mullin also dismissed any connection between the telecommunications failure and a separate global Microsoft outage.
Airlines warn delays to continue
Airlines warned that returning to normal schedules would take days. Sydney Airport and Melbourne Airport confirmed that US-bound services faced rolling delays before authorities lifted the arrival ban just before 1 pm local time, as reported by The Guardian.
Brisbane Airport reported four delayed services to North America. Qantas offered flexible rebooking options for passengers ticketed for travel on November 13 and 14.
Travelers stranded at US hubs like Los Angeles International Airport and LaGuardia reported spending hours confined to aircraft on tarmacs. Ruth Coles told the Associated Press she waited five hours aboard an Alaska Airlines plane in Los Angeles without an available arrival gate.
The FAA has issued a nationwide ground stop for all flights. Travelers should confirm their flight status with their airline before heading to the airport.
Passengers affected by the computer failure are not entitled to cash compensation because the incident fell outside airline control under extraordinary circumstances. Carriers remain required to offer free rebooking or full refunds for cancelled itineraries.
Frequently asked questions about the outage
When did US flight operations return to normal?
The Federal Aviation Administration lifted the national ground stop at approximately 12:30 pm AEDT on Saturday, November 14, 2026, allowing departures to resume gradually.
Were international flights canceled or just delayed?
Authorities handled international arrivals on a case-by-case basis. European air traffic manager Eurocontrol temporarily suspended US-bound flights from its member states during the stop, while services from Australian airports experienced hours of tarmac delays before departing once the ban lifted.
Are passengers eligible for compensation for missed connections?
Airlines are not required to pay cash compensation because the Federal Aviation Administration system failure is classified as an extraordinary circumstance outside carrier control. Passengers with cancellations can still choose free rebooking or a refund.
The nationwide FAA ground stop has been lifted. Flight delays and cancellations continue. Check with your airline for the latest information.
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