US flights grounded after nationwide air traffic control failure

Summarised from 2 outlets · 4 reports · Updated 14 Nov, 15:13 · Archive

The US Federal Aviation Administration halted all departing flights nationwide due to air traffic control communication failures.

The US Federal Aviation Administration halted all departing flights nationwide on Friday, citing "extraordinary circumstances and for reasons of safety" following communications problems at regional air traffic control centres. The directive meant aircraft scheduled to leave US airports were grounded until restrictions were lifted. International arrivals were managed on a case-by-case basis. The shutdown lasted several hours, and according to flight tracking website Flightradar24, almost 10,000 flights were cancelled as a result.

US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy confirmed the nationwide ground stop in a statement, saying FAA technicians were investigating the issue. US Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin told reporters that the introduction of new technology into an old air traffic control system overwhelmed it. He could not rule out another outage.

The disruption had knock-on effects in the UK. British Airways cancelled a flight from London Heathrow to New York and warned of possible delays and cancellations on other services. Manchester Airport said three flights to the US were slightly delayed but expected no significant disruption by Saturday morning. By Saturday, the effects in the UK appeared relatively limited, though Tim Johnson, consumer director at the UK Civil Aviation Authority, warned that passengers could still face some disruption as airlines worked to re-book affected passengers and restore normal services.

This was the first nationwide US ground stop since January 2023, when a technical malfunction with the FAA's Notice to Air Missions system triggered extensive disruption.

How it is being reported

• UK flight update after US air traffic chaos leaves thousands strandedThousands of passengers across the US were left stranded following a major flight shutdownDaily Record · 14 Nov, 12:57
• What the US flight shutdown means for travellers in the UKUK travellers have been warned to brace for possible disruption after flights were grounded across the United StatesThe National · 14 Nov, 08:50
• US flight chaos eases after nationwide air traffic control shutdownDISRUPTION to transatlantic travellers in the UK has eased after air traffic control problems brought flights to a standstill across the USThe National · 14 Nov, 08:43
• US flights grounded nationwide over air traffic control failureThe Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has ordered a nationwide ground stop, halting all departing flights across the US due to "extraordinary circumstances and for reasons of safety"Daily Record · 13 Nov, 21:51

In this story: Federal Aviation Administration · Sean Duffy · Markwayne Mullin · British Airways · United States · Manchester Airport · London Heathrow

This summary was written by AI from the headlines and standfirsts above, and states as fact only what at least two outlets report. How we use AI · Report a problem · Corrections log