Nationwide FAA Ground Stop Throws US Airport Travel Into Chaos
The FAA grounded all flights on Friday, causing widespread chaos at US airports like JFK, where passengers faced abrupt cancellations even after boarding. The stoppage also disrupted college football team travel, including Tulane and Longhorn squads, until the ground stop was.
On Friday, November 13, 2026, the FAA issued a nationwide ground stop due to a communications failure at regional air traffic control centers, grounding all flights for approximately four hours. The stoppage caused over 10,000 delays and nearly 1,500 cancellations, stranding thousands of passengers and disrupting college sports travel, including Tulane and Texas Longhorn teams.
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Scope of Disruption
According to FlightAware, the ground stop resulted in 10,343 flight delays within, into, or out of the US, and 1,479 cancellations. Flightradar24 reported that more than 1,000 aircraft were bound for the US when the stoppage was announced. At JFK, passengers like Steve Honberger sat on a plane for 1 hour 40 minutes before deplaning, while others like Larson Welsh faced rebooking chaos after cancellations. [1]
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FAA's Reason and Precedent
The FAA issued the ground stop citing a communications problem at regional air traffic control centers, according to an FAA notice. This was only the third such nationwide stoppage in US history, following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks and a January 2023 communications failure. The stop lasted about four hours before being lifted. [1]
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Impact on College Football Travel
The Tulane Green Wave football team was on the runway waiting to take off for Houston when the ground stop hit. They switched to buses, departing campus around 7:30 p.m. Friday for the 5.5-hour drive. Their game against Rice was pushed back from 1:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Saturday. The Texas Longhorns and other teams also scrambled to adjust travel plans after the stop was lifted. [2] [3]
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Passenger Reactions and Crew Experiences
At JFK, passengers expressed frustration and resignation. Tom Rolenaitis, returning a shiba inu show dog named Tsuki to Finland, called the delay frustrating. A flight attendant headed to Barcelona said his American Airlines flight was slightly delayed, and international flights were allowed to land. Some passengers applauded when international boarding resumed, while others like Andy, missing a family event, said, 'It’s frustrating. And I’m pissed.' [1]
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Sports Officials and Referee Travel Concerns
The ground stop also snarled travel for NBA, NHL, and college teams ahead of a big weekend of games. It was unclear whether referees, who typically fly to assignments the day before games, would make it on time. The disruption added logistical challenges for leagues already managing tight schedules. [1]
