FAA lifts nationwide US flight suspension after telecommunications failure

The Federal Aviation Administration lifted a nationwide US flight suspension at 8:15 PM Eastern Time on Friday, November 13, 2026. The suspension followed a telecommunications failure that affected various air traffic control centers across the country. The technical failure originated from overloaded aging equipment that dates back to the 1980s.

Safety and security assessments

US Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy stated that all passengers remained safe during the suspension and confirmed there were no security issues. Secretary Duffy noted that the airspace was reopened at 8:15 PM ET but warned that the recovery of normal operations will be slow.

Federal authorities investigated the cause of the technical failure to determine if external interference played a role. The FBI and US Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin confirmed the incident was not a cyberattack. Secretary Mullin also confirmed the failure was not related to a Microsoft service outage. President Donald Trump stated that nothing indicates the air traffic problem was related to a cyberattack or artificial intelligence.

Impact on international and domestic flights

The disruption caused significant delays and cancellations for both domestic and international travel. FlightAware reported that over 2,000 flights were canceled for Saturday, November 14, 2026. The incident also impacted air travel in Mexico, where the Mexican Federal Aviation Agency reported that 193 flights required itinerary adjustments, affecting 18,002 passengers.

At the Benito Juárez International Airport (AICM) in Mexico, the airport reported that 40 flights and 6,197 passengers were affected by the restrictions. During the suspension, TAP Air Portugal was authorized to land flights bound for the US. This authorization included one aircraft that landed in San Francisco while en route to the United States.

Historical context and modernization efforts

This incident marks the third time a nationwide US flight suspension has occurred in recent history. Previous nationwide suspensions took place on September 11, 2001, and in January 2023. The current failure highlights ongoing concerns regarding the infrastructure used to manage the skies.

The White House recently requested $30.1 billion from Congress to modernize the US air traffic control system. This funding request aims to upgrade the aging infrastructure to prevent similar telecommunications failures in the future.

Glossary

• TAP Air Portugal — TAP Air Portugal, formally Transportes Aéreos Portugueses (TAP), is the flag carrier of Portugal. It is headquartered at Lisbon Airport, which serves as its main hub.