The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a nationwide ground stop halting departures at all U.S. airports starting at 3:54 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 13. The cause is a communications problem affecting air route traffic control centers across the country. International flights bound for the U.S. are being handled case by case. At New York's JFK, tonight's Korean Air and Asiana flights to Incheon overlap with the ground stop window and could be delayed, and evening arrivals from Incheon could also be affected.
The FAA halted departures at all U.S. airports on the afternoon of Friday, Nov. 13. "Due to extraordinary circumstances and for safety reasons, a ground stop is in effect for all airports," the FAA said in a notice, adding, "All departing aircraft must remain on the ground until further notice." International flights arriving in the U.S. are being handled individually depending on the situation. Korean Air and Asiana flights that leave JFK for Incheon every night, as well as the evening arrivals from Incheon, could also be affected.
At a Glance
"Communications problem at all Air Route Traffic Control Centers"
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said in a statement that the action was taken because of a "communications problem affecting all Air Route Traffic Control Centers," and that FAA technicians are investigating the cause. Air route traffic control centers are regional facilities that manage aircraft flying the airways between airports, and they are spread across the country. The skies over the New York area are handled by the New York Air Route Traffic Control Center in Ronkonkoma, Long Island. According to USA Today, the flight-tracking company Flightradar24 reported that the order came after an equipment failure.
The FAA notice lists the ground stop period as 3:54 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. Eastern Time. However, the notice also says departing aircraft must wait "until further notice," so there is no guarantee that operations will resume at the listed time. The FAA has not said when normal operations will resume. This is the first nationwide ground stop since January 2023, when the FAA's Notice to Air Missions (NOTAM) system went down.
JFK-Incheon Route: Daytime Flights Have Left, but Night Flights Are Affected
Korean Air and Asiana Airlines use Terminal 1 at JFK Airport in New York. According to JFK Terminal 1 flight information, there are four flights a day to Incheon. Asiana OZ221 departs at 10:30 a.m. and Korean Air KE082 at noon, while at night Korean Air KE086 departs at 11 p.m. and Asiana OZ223 at 12:30 a.m. The morning and noon flights were scheduled to leave before the ground stop was issued. The problem is the night flights. Both overlap with the tail end of the ground stop window the FAA announced, and even if the stop is lifted, they could depart late while the departure order is reset.
Arriving flights also bear watching. According to JFK Terminal 1 arrival information as of 4:47 p.m. today, Korean Air KE085 from Incheon was listed as "in flight, delayed," with its arrival expected at 7:55 p.m. instead of the scheduled 7:40 p.m. Asiana OZ224 was listed as "in flight," with its arrival expected at 8:35 p.m. instead of the scheduled 9 p.m. Aircraft already flying over the Pacific have not received immediate landing orders, but because the FAA said it will handle international flights to the U.S. case by case, arrival times could change. If you are picking up family or friends at the airport, it is a good idea to recheck the arrival time on the airline's app before you leave. Asiana OZ222 (9 a.m.) and Korean Air KE081 (10 a.m.), both due to arrive on the morning of Nov. 14, are currently showing normal operations.
Passengers with connecting flights should be especially careful. Those who fly into JFK on a domestic flight from another U.S. city to transfer to a flight to Incheon, or who arrive at JFK from Incheon and continue on a U.S. domestic flight, could miss their connection if the domestic flight is held by the ground stop. Passengers on Delta Air Lines domestic flights that are codeshared with Korean Air are advised to check both airlines' apps. As of 5 p.m. today, the Korean carriers had not issued a separate notice about the ground stop.
New York and New Jersey Airports Hit by Nor'easter, Then a Nationwide Stop
Airports in New York and New Jersey were already in turmoil from the morning. According to the aviation outlet AeroCorner, with a nor'easter (a coastal storm with northeast winds) sitting off Long Island, the FAA issued a ground stop for LaGuardia Airport at 8:28 a.m. today because of wind, lifted it around 9:15 a.m. and replaced it with a ground delay program lasting into the night. Around 9 a.m., 55 arrivals and 23 departures were canceled at JFK, 25 arrivals and 18 departures at LaGuardia, and 16 arrivals and 6 departures at Newark.
The FAA's National Airspace System Status page showed that around 4:20 p.m., departures from Newark Airport were delayed 46 minutes to 1 hour because of an equipment problem, with delays growing. Departures from Teterboro Airport in New Jersey were listed with delays of 1 hour 30 minutes to 1 hour 45 minutes. At LaGuardia, the wind-related delay program continues until 11 p.m., with an average delay of 45 minutes and a maximum of 2 hours 46 minutes. Because the nationwide stop pushed back departures all at once, connection problems could continue late into the night even after flights resume.
What to Check Before Heading to the Airport
The most important thing before leaving for the airport is to check your airline's app or website to see whether your flight is operating. A ground stop does not mean airports are closed; it means aircraft are held at their departure points, so even after it is lifted, it takes time to reset the departure order. Long-haul flights to Korea could be pushed to the next day if delays run long because of crew duty-time limits. You can also see airport-by-airport delays on the FAA's National Airspace System Status page (nasstatus.faa.gov).
Delta Air Lines is waiving change fees for passengers traveling through Newark, JFK, LaGuardia, Boston and White Plains airports on Nov. 12 and 13 because of the nor'easter. Passengers ticketed by Nov. 12 can change flights through Nov. 16 with no fare difference if they stay in the same cabin. Other airlines could announce similar measures, so it is a good idea to check each airline's notices.
As of 5 p.m. today, the FAA had not officially announced when the nationwide ground stop would be lifted or the specific cause of the communications problem. NY&NJ will update this article as news develops.