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FAA ground stop live updates: Duffy blames 'overloaded' routers; thousands of flights canceled

The DHS secretary said there were no indications of a cyberattack.

ByIvan Pereira, Ayesha Ali, Clara McMichael, Sam Sweeney, and Meredith Deliso
Last Updated: November 13, 2026, 9:57 PM EST

The Federal Aviation Administration ordered a rare nationwide ground stop for all airports Friday -- a more than four-hour disruption that snarled travel from coast to coast with canceled flights and stranded passengers.

At a White House news conference Friday night, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy blamed old technology that became overloaded and called on Congress to provide billions more in funding to modernize critical equipment, calling the situation an "emergency."

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin told reporters there was no indication the incident stemmed from a cyberattack, but that officials were still investigating.

Thousands of flights were canceled amid the ground stop.

"I believe that it's going to take us some time to get back to capacity," Duffy said when asked how long air travelers should expect delays and cancellations to continue.

Key Headlines

Here's how the news is developing.
6:18 PM EST

DHS secretary: No indication of a 'nefarious attack'

Earlier Friday, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin told reporters that the federal government is investigating the incident and there was no indication yet that it was a "nefarious attack" and that everyone is safe.

"It's just a telecommunications outage as of now," he told reporters.

Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin speaks at the White House, Nov. 13, 2026.
Alex Brandon/AP

Mullin said the government will look into the root of the problem.

"This isn't another 9/11. I cannot repeat that enough," he added.

5:57 PM EST

FAA orders rare nationwide ground stop: What to know

The Federal Aviation Administration ordered a nationwide ground stop Friday for all airports due to a communication issue affecting air traffic control.

The agency's alert said the stop was "due to extraordinary circumstances and for reasons of safety."

Read more.

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