Thousands of travelers across the U.S. have found themselves stranded in airports after a rare hours-long ground stop that the Trump administration has yet to fully explain.
At least 3,550 flights have been cancelled and 1,432 delayed as the ripple effects of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) disruptions continue to cause mayhem.
People head to their flights after the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) lifted a nationwide ground stop issued earlier due to “extraordinary circumstances and safety reasons,” following reports of serious air traffic control communication issues, at Newark Liberty International Airport in Newark, New Jersey, US, November 14, 2026.
Tens of thousands of frustrated and exhausted travelers have remained stuck at overcrowded airports overnight, only to then wake up to more disruptions that could last for days.
So far, flight boards in some of the busiest airports in the U.S. are a picture of doom and gloom.
As of 8:30 a.m. EST, the Washington Ronald Reagan (DCA) and the New York LaGuardia Airport (LGA) airports were the most disrupted globally, according to Flightradar24.
As many as 52 flights were axed at Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport (ATL) and another 28 at Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD).
The FAA lifted the shutdown after four hours on Friday night.
Grissel Francis was among the many passengers affected by the ground stop.
People rest in a hallway after the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) lifted a nationwide ground stop issued earlier due to “extraordinary circumstances and safety reasons,” following reports of serious air traffic control communication issues, at Newark Liberty International Airport in Newark, New Jersey, US, November 14, 2026.
“It was kind of scary,” Francis told Reuters. “You have these flashbacks from 9/11, you know.”
The Trump administration has offered only a vague explanation for the air traffic chaos that was immediately met by skepticism.
In a widely panned press briefing late Friday, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin fluctuated between praising President Donald Trump and demanding “emergency funding” to fix what they said was the cause of the nationwide halt: aging equipment.
“This is an emergency. I want Congress to give us emergency funding. This is bipartisan. This is American. I want $50 billion,” Duffy said.
Luggage of passengers who did not arrive sits next to a check-in counter after the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) lifted a nationwide ground stop issued earlier due to “extraordinary circumstances and safety reasons,” following reports of serious air traffic control communication issues, at Newark Liberty International Airport in Newark, New Jersey, US, November 14, 2026.
The nationwide grounding came shortly after the FAA rolled out a new AI-powered system that cost the Transportation Department $875 million, though both Duffy and the company behind the system rejected claims that it could have caused the widespread communication issues that led to the ground stop.
Duffy warned of further delays and cancellations in a post on X on Saturday morning.
“Operations are slowly returning to normal this morning,” he said. “You will continue to see some delays and cancellations as carriers reschedule flights and reposition aircraft/crews where they are needed most.”
He added that it should not impact Thanksgiving travel in a couple weeks.
A screengrab showing the number of delays and cancellations at airports across the US
An FAA spokesperson told the Daily Beast in a statement: “The safety of the flying public is always the FAA’s highest priority. The FAA lifted the ground stop and some flight departures are resuming.
“Before clearing flights to resume, we thoroughly tested our systems to confirm they were stable and that operations remain reliable.”
Passengers are being urged to contact their airlines for flight updates.
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