The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) lifted a nationwide ground stop, imposed around 4 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 13, after more than four hours. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said the cause was a communications outage and that there were no signs of a malicious attack, but why the outage occurred has not yet been confirmed. As of 8:40 p.m., the Korean Air and Asiana night flights from New York's JFK to Incheon were checking in passengers normally. More than 5,000 flights into, out of and within the U.S. were canceled over the course of the day, and some airlines have also canceled Saturday flights, so the disruption is expected to last through the weekend.
The FAA's ground stop, which had grounded departures at airports across the U.S., was lifted on the night of Friday, Nov. 13. It came more than four hours after the FAA halted departures at all airports around 4 p.m., citing "unusual circumstances." CNN, citing the FAA, reported at 8:37 p.m. that the nationwide ground stop had been lifted. According to CNBC, the FAA had earlier begun allowing departures in phases from around 6 p.m., as en route air traffic control facilities came back online.
At a Glance
"This Is Not Another 9/11… It's a Communications Outage"
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin explained at a White House briefing with Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy that day that the incident was caused by a communications outage. "There is no reason for people to be afraid or to worry about their families. This is not another 9/11," Mullin said. "People think that because the last nationwide ground stop was back then, but this one is a communications outage, which is entirely different." He said there have been no signs of a malicious attack so far. However, according to The New York Times, officials said they still do not know why the outage occurred.
The FAA had earlier announced, "Because of a temporary communications outage, we have stopped all flights as a precaution. The locations of all flights are known." CBS News, citing sources, reported that reboots and outages followed during an update to the network linking the air traffic control system, but this has not been officially confirmed by the FAA. It is the first nationwide ground stop since the FAA's flight information system outage in January 2023.
JFK-Incheon Flights: Arrivals Complete, Night Departures Checking In
The Korea routes that had been a concern earlier are operating without major disruption. According to flight information for JFK Terminal 1, as of 8:41 p.m., check-in is open for Korean Air KE086, departing at 11 p.m., and Asiana OZ223, departing at 12:30 a.m. on the 14th, with no delays shown. Korean Air KE085 from Incheon arrived at the gate at 7:45 p.m., and Asiana OZ224 landed at 8:31 p.m., ahead of schedule.
Saturday, Nov. 14, flights are largely normal, but one has been delayed. As of 8:49 p.m., Korean Air KE081 from Incheon is shown as delayed, with arrival pushed from 10 a.m. to noon. Asiana OZ222 from Incheon (9 a.m.), Asiana OZ221 to Incheon (10:30 a.m.) and Korean Air KE082 (noon) are listed as "on time." However, because domestic flights in the U.S. were backed up late into the night, passengers who fly into JFK from other cities on domestic flights to connect to Incheon flights should check their connecting flights separately.
Planes Lined Up on New York Airport Runways
When the ground stop was ordered, airports across the New York area came to a sudden halt. ABC7 New York reported that at least 12 planes were lined up on the runways at LaGuardia Airport and that pilots were told to return to their gates if possible. LaGuardia was hit harder because a ground delay program had been in place since the morning due to nor'easter winds. Gov. Kathy Hochul said she had been in contact with Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Executive Director Kathryn Garcia and been briefed on the situation, adding, "We are demanding answers from federal authorities."
According to flight-tracking company FlightAware, as of 8 p.m. that day, 5,117 flights into, out of and within the U.S. had been canceled and 9,814 delayed. These figures also include cancellations and delays caused by the morning nor'easter.
Weekend Travelers Should Recheck
The ground stop has been lifted, but its effects are expected to last through the weekend, because the day ended with planes and crews out of position. JetBlue told employees that it had canceled all remaining flights for the day, except its Europe routes from JFK and Boston, and would also cancel some Saturday flights. American Airlines said that once the stop was lifted, it would put "all hands on deck" to get passengers moving as quickly as possible.
Passengers flying this weekend should recheck whether their flights are operating in the airline's app before leaving for the airport. If a flight is canceled, travelers can rebook on another flight or request a refund through the app or website. Under U.S. Department of Transportation rules, passengers are entitled to a cash refund if an airline cancels a flight and the passenger does not accept an alternative. Delays by airport can also be viewed on the FAA's National Airspace System Status page (nasstatus.faa.gov).
The FAA is investigating the specific cause of the communications outage. NY&NJ will follow up as soon as the findings are released.