Live· updated (UTC)
Is US airspace closed? FAA nationwide ground stop, live updates
In short: since 20:54 UTC on 13 November 2026 (15:54 in New York) the FAA has held all departing flights at US airports on the ground "due to extraordinary circumstances and for reasons of safety", until further notice. This is not a full closure of US airspace: inbound international flights are managed case by case. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said on X it followed a communication issue affecting all Air Route Traffic Control Centers, and a later FAA advisory cites a nationwide communications failure.
Current situation
FAA advisory at 22:46 UTC: nationwide ground stop remains in effect
On 13 November the FAA held flights on the ground at US airports (ATCSCC advisory no. 111, 20:54 UTC) because of a nationwide communications failure. In advisory no. 120 at 22:46 UTC the Command Center states that the nationwide ground stop remains in effect, with an event time until 04:00 UTC on 14 November and the next update expected at 04:00 UTC; as en route facilities recover, flights may depart only through coordination with the Command Center. At 22:54 UTC the FAA NAS Status service no longer lists the reason "NAS GS" at any airport: check your flight status with your airline before travelling.
Checked against official sources at 22:54 UTC. Latest update: FAA advisory 120: nationwide ground stop remains in effect.
Timeline, latest first
Times in UTC, with New York time. Quotes are the original text of the advisories.
· New York 17:46
FAA advisory 120: nationwide ground stop remains in effect
At 22:46 UTC the FAA Command Center issued advisory no. 120 "NATIONWIDE GROUND STOP": the stop covers all destination airports and all facilities, reason "communications failure", with an event time from 22:45 UTC on 13 November to 04:00 UTC on 14 November and the next update expected at 04:00 UTC. The advisory states that the ground stop remains in effect and that, as en route facilities recover, flights will be allowed to depart through coordination with the Command Center. At 22:54 UTC the FAA NAS Status service does not list the reason "NAS GS" at any airport, but shows departure delays at Houston (IAH) with the reason "TM Initiatives:STOP:EQ", an equipment-related stop.
THE FAA COMMAND CENTER GROUND STOP REMAINS IN EFFECT. AS ENROUTE FACILITIES RECOVER, FLIGHTS WILL BE ALLOWED TO DEPART THROUGH COORDINATION WITH THE AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEM COMMAND CENTER.
Source: FAA ATCSCC, advisory no. 120
· New York 17:23
FAA NAS Status no longer shows the nationwide ground stop
At 22:23 UTC the FAA's official National Airspace System Status service no longer lists the reason "NAS GS", the nationwide ground stop, at any US airport: Miami (MIA) and Fort Lauderdale (FLL) are no longer among the ground stops. Local ground delay programs remain at San Diego (SAN) and Boston (BOS) for airport volume and at San Francisco (SFO) and New York LaGuardia (LGA) for wind; departure delays at Teterboro (TEB) are still attributed to "EQ:FAA", FAA equipment. At this time the Command Center advisory server is not returning advisory text, so no nationwide cancellation advisory has been read yet.
· New York 16:45
FAA NAS Status still shows the nationwide ground stop
The FAA's official National Airspace System Status service lists the reason "TM Initiatives:STOP:NAS GS", the nationwide ground stop, for departures from Miami (MIA) and Fort Lauderdale (FLL). Departure delays at Chicago O'Hare (ORD), Newark (EWR), Las Vegas (LAS) and Teterboro (TEB) are attributed to "EQ:FAA", FAA equipment. At this time the Command Center advisory list shows no advisory lifting the nationwide ground stop.
· New York 16:21
FAA cites a nationwide communications failure
Between 21:11 and 21:21 UTC the Command Center issues three "EXTENDED FLIGHT PLAN DROP TIMES IMPLEMENTED" advisories: first for the Chicago center (ZAU, no. 114), then Los Angeles (ZLA, no. 115) and finally all en-route centers (no. 117), where flight plan retention is extended to 240 minutes "due to nationwide comms failure".
DCC HAS IMPLEMENTED EXTENDED FLIGHT PLAN DROP TIMES TO 240 MINUTES FOR ALL ENROUTE CENTERS DUE TO NATIONWIDE COMMS FAILURE.
· New York 16:20
Airborne holding possible at all US airports
The FAA Command Center warns that aircraft in flight may be held for any and all airports in the national airspace system, due to equipment outages. Period stated: 21:00 UTC on 13 November to 03:00 UTC on 14 November, with updates to follow.
USERS CAN EXPECT AIRBORNE HOLDING TO ANY AND ALL AIRPORTS WITHIN THE NAS DUE EQUIPTMENT OUTAGES. UPDATES WILL BE ISSUED AS ADITIONAL INFORMATION BECOMES AVAILABLE. [testo originale, refusi compresi]
Source: FAA ATCSCC, advisory no. 116 "NATION WIDE AIRBORNE HOLDING"
· New York 16:16reported by the press
Transportation Secretary cites a communication issue
US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy confirmed the ground stop in a post on X, attributing it to "a communication issue impacting all Air Route Traffic Control Centers" and adding that FAA technicians are investigating. The post text is as quoted by NBC and Fox News; no statement has yet been published on the Department of Transportation or FAA websites.
The @FAAnews issued a nationwide ground stop for all U.S. airports following a communication issue impacting all Air Route Traffic Control Centers. FAA technicians are investigating the issue. We will provide immediate updates as we have them.
Source: Sean Duffy, Secretary of Transportation, post on X (text as quoted by NBC)
· New York 15:54
FAA orders a nationwide ground stop: all departures held
The FAA Command Center orders all operators to hold departures at every US airport "due to extraordinary circumstances and for reasons of safety". Departures stay on the ground until further notice; inbound international flights are managed case by case. Period stated in the advisory: 20:53 UTC on 13 November to 04:00 UTC on 14 November.
DUE TO EXTRAORDINARY CIRCUMSTANCES AND FOR REASONS OF SAFETY. ATTENTION ALL AIRCRAFT OPERATORS, BY ORDER OF THE FEDERAL AVIATION COMMAND CENTER ALL AIRPORTS ARE GROUND STOPPED. ALL DEPARTING TRAFFIC SHOULD REMAIN GROUND STOPPED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE. INBOUND INTERNATIONAL FLIGHTS WILL BE MANAGED ON A CASE BY CASE BASIS.
· New York 15:30
Diversion recovery activated for all airports
The Command Center activates the Diversion Recovery tool for all airports, from 20:30 UTC on 13 November to 05:00 UTC on 14 November. It is the first advisory of the day addressed to all airports.
THE ATCSCC HAS ACTIVATED THE DIVERSION RECOVERY TOOL FOR ALL AIRPORTS.
Source: FAA ATCSCC, advisory no. 108 "ALL AIRPORTS DIVERSION RECOVERY ACTIVATED"
Ground stop or airspace closure: the difference
A ground stop keeps aircraft that are due to depart on the ground. The one issued on 13 November applies to every airport in the country: departures are held, aircraft already airborne may be put into holding before landing (advisory no. 116) and international flights bound for the United States are assessed one by one. An airspace closure is a wider measure: on 11 September 2001 the FAA ordered every aircraft in flight to land, and inbound international flights were diverted, mostly to Canada. The advisories issued so far describe a nationwide ground stop, not a closure of that kind.
Flying from Europe: what to do and your rights
- Before you leave, check your flight status in your airline's app or website: it is the only source for an individual flight.
- Flight cancelled departing from the European Union, or arriving in the EU on an EU airline: Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 gives you the choice between a refund and re-routing (Art. 8) and the right to care at the airport, meals and if needed a hotel (Art. 9).
- Cash compensation (Art. 7) is not owed if the airline proves the cancellation was caused by extraordinary circumstances which could not have been avoided even if all reasonable measures had been taken (Art. 5(3)). Refund, re-routing and care are still owed.
- Flights departing from the United States on a non-EU airline: the EU regulation does not apply; the airline's conditions and US rules apply.
For businesses
Delayed goods and deliveries? Before granting extra time, check who you are dealing with
A halt to air traffic shifts deliveries, collections and payments. If an Italian customer asks for longer payment terms or an Italian supplier asks for an advance to catch up, Veryfy's Verifica report shows the beneficial owner, protests, insolvency signals and an estimated trade credit limit for the Italian company.
Check a company before invoicing, signing or collecting a debt
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Frequently asked questions
Is US airspace closed?
Not in the sense of a full closure. The FAA ordered a nationwide ground stop: all departing flights at US airports stay on the ground until further notice, while inbound international flights are managed case by case. This differs from the airspace closure of 11 September 2001, when aircraft in flight were ordered to land.
Why did the FAA stop flights?
The official advisory cites "extraordinary circumstances" and "reasons of safety" without naming a cause. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said on X it followed a communication issue impacting all Air Route Traffic Control Centers; later FAA advisories cite equipment outages (no. 116) and a "nationwide comms failure" (no. 117).
How long will the ground stop last?
The advisory says "until further notice". The technical period stated runs from 20:53 UTC on 13 November to 04:00 UTC on 14 November, but the FAA can lift it earlier or extend it. The lifting comes with a new Command Center advisory, which this page reports as soon as it is published.
Will my flight from Europe to the United States operate?
The ground stop covers departures from US airports; inbound international flights are managed case by case by the FAA. Only your airline can tell you the status of your flight: check its app or website before going to the airport.
Am I entitled to a refund if my flight is cancelled?
If your flight departs from an EU airport, or arrives in the EU on an EU airline, Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 applies: for a cancellation you can choose between a refund and re-routing (Art. 8) and you are entitled to care, meaning meals and if needed a hotel (Art. 9). Cash compensation under Art. 7 is not owed if the airline proves the cancellation was caused by extraordinary circumstances which could not have been avoided even if all reasonable measures had been taken (Art. 5(3)).
How we update this page
Every 15 minutes we check the official air traffic control and institutional channels listed below, in the United States and in Europe, and add an update only when one of them publishes something new. Statements known only through the press are marked "reported by the press". We do not publish estimates, forecasts or unconfirmed reports.
- FAA Air Traffic Control System Command Center: US air traffic control national advisories (stops, cancellations, holding)
- FAA National Airspace System Status: real-time US airport status
- FAA Newsroom: agency press releases and statements
- The White House: presidential statements
- EUROCONTROL: European air traffic network (Network Manager)
- EASA, European Union Aviation Safety Agency: European flight safety
- European Commission: transport and passenger rights
- ENAV: Italian air navigation service provider
- ENAC: Italian Civil Aviation Authority
First published: (UTC). Veryfy is not affiliated with the FAA, the US government or the European institutions mentioned.