US Flights Resume After 16,000 Cancellations and Delays

The Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) lifted its ground stop directive, allowing flights to gradually resume from various US airports. The FAA prioritizes the safety of the flying public and thoroughly tested its systems before clearing flights to resume. Passengers were advised to contact their airlines or agents for updates on flight status and schedules. The ground stop was issued on November 13, 2026, and affected all US airports, with some 16,000 flights delayed or cancelled.

The FAA cited an equipment outage as the reason for the ground stop, which was later lifted. The authority allowed flights already in the air to land, but no departures or landings were permitted unless for emergency purposes. The disruption was attributed to a technical problem, not a cyberattack, according to a senior law enforcement official. The FAA has not disclosed what triggered the outage, but Reuters reported that it appeared to affect a telecommunications network overseen by L3Harris Technologies.

The US ground stop is not believed to be connected to a wave of hoax bomb threats that disrupted flights across Europe earlier in November 2026. The European threats, which came in waves between November 2 and November 6, affected at least 27 flights on November 5 alone. Military jets escorted airliners in several countries, and an Aer Lingus flight was diverted to a French air base. No explosives were found, and no one has been charged.

The FAA ground stop is considered the longest nationwide ground stop in 25 years. As of late November 13, 2026, FlightAware listed about 7,700 cancellations and 8,000 delays involving flights within, into or out of the US. Airlines warned of more cancellations into the weekend. The disruption kept growing after the stop was lifted, causing further delays and cancellations.

The incident coincided with a Microsoft cloud services crash and a report of system hacking in Uber's network. US officials have offered no indication that the ground stop is connected to these incidents. The FAA has not published a statement addressing the European bomb threats.

An investigation into the European bomb threats is ongoing, with the Paris prosecutor's office looking into potential links to foreign powers. European intelligence services suspect pro-Kremlin activists or hacking groups may be behind the threats. Russia has denied accusations of hybrid attacks in Europe.

The FAA's ground stop and subsequent disruptions highlight the complexities of modern air travel and the importance of robust systems and contingency planning. The incident will likely lead to further scrutiny of aviation infrastructure and the resilience of critical systems.

Key points

• The FAA ground stop caused 16,000 flight cancellations and delays.
• The incident was attributed to a technical problem, not a cyberattack.
• The US ground stop is not believed to be connected to European bomb threats.