FAA suspends all departing flights across United States following telecommunications failure

The Federal Aviation Administration suspended all departing flights across the United States on November 13, 2026, citing extraordinary circumstances and safety reasons. This nationwide suspension follows a telecommunications failure that has disrupted aviation operations across the country. The disruption affects 22 regional air traffic control centers that are responsible for providing aircraft guidance between airports.

Scope of communication failure

U.S. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy reported that the communication issue affects all en-route air traffic control centers. This technical failure has led to significant flight delays at several major airports across the United States. Flight tracking data showed 395 delays at Chicago, 385 delays at Atlanta, and 327 delays at Dallas-Fort Worth. Other major hubs reported significant disruptions, including 284 delays at Denver, 266 delays at Los Angeles, 249 delays at San Francisco, 228 delays at LaGuardia, 199 delays at JFK, 199 delays at Orlando, and 189 delays at Boston.

U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin stated that the disruption is due to a telecommunications failure and not a terrorist attack. He stated that there is no reason for public fear and noted that the incident is not another September 11. The FBI has found no evidence that the disruption is related to a cyberattack or a criminal act. Additionally, Microsoft reported no connection between the FAA suspension and any global service failures.

Infrastructure and investigation details

U.S. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy noted that the air traffic control system suffers from obsolete infrastructure that requires urgent technological modernization. While the exact cause of the failure remains under investigation, an anonymous Congressional authority stated that the National Security Council and the Pentagon have not identified the source of the problem. Officials are currently investigating the possibility that a software update caused the issue.

The Federal Aviation Administration manages an average of over 45,000 daily flights and serves approximately 2.9 million passengers every day. This incident marks the third nationwide flight suspension in the United States since the September 11, 2001, attacks. The previous nationwide suspensions occurred following the September 11, 2001, attacks and in January 2023 due to a pilot information system failure.

Glossary

• air traffic control centers — These centers are responsible for providing aircraft guidance between airports. They are also known as Integrated Air Traffic Control and Air Defense Centers (CINDACTA).