The FAA stopped all departing flights at U.S. airports on Friday, Nov. 13, "due to extraordinary circumstances and for reasons of safety." Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said a communication issue was affecting all Air Route Traffic Control Centers, and no restart time had been confirmed as of late Friday afternoon. If your trip can't wait, RentX is taking last-minute requests for charter buses, minibuses, Sprinter vans, minivans, SUVs, black cars and limousines across the U.S.
On this page
Updated Friday, Nov. 13, 2026, at 6:24 p.m. ET. This is a developing story. We will update it as the FAA and the Department of Transportation share more.
The Federal Aviation Administration halted every departing flight at U.S. airports on Friday afternoon, Nov. 13, citing "extraordinary circumstances" and "reasons of safety," and leaving passengers across the country without a departure time.
The order took effect at 2:54 p.m. Central time (3:54 p.m. Eastern), according to an FAA advisory reported by Oklahoma City's News 9. "All departing traffic should remain ground stopped until further notice," the FAA's alert to aircraft operators said. Inbound international flights were to be "managed on a case by case basis."
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said on X that the FAA issued the stop "following a communication issue impacting all Air Route Traffic Control Centers," the regional facilities that guide planes between airports. "FAA technicians are investigating the issue," Duffy wrote. "We will provide immediate updates as we have them."
An FAA spokesperson said the stop followed "communication issues impacting multiple Air Route Traffic Control Centers," CNBC reported. The FAA later said in a post on X that there was a "temporary telecommunications outage" and that it halted flights out of an "abundance of caution," CNBC reported. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, speaking to reporters outside the White House, said there was "no indication, as of yet, that this was a nefarious act against us," CBS News reported. "Out of an abundance of caution, we have grounded all the flights. And all the flights are accounted for," Mullin said. He also told reporters, "This isn't another 9/11," ABC7 in San Francisco reported.
As of early Friday evening, neither the FAA nor the Department of Transportation had said what caused the communication problem or when flights would resume. The FAA's advisory listed an estimated end time of 10 p.m. Central (11 p.m. Eastern), News 9 reported, but the agency said departures would stay grounded until further notice.
What we know so far
| Details | |
|---|---|
| What happened | The FAA ordered all departing flights at U.S. airports to stay on the ground. |
| When | Friday, Nov. 13, 2026, from 2:54 p.m. Central (3:54 p.m. Eastern), per the FAA advisory reported by News 9. |
| Why | "Extraordinary circumstances" and "reasons of safety," the FAA said, later citing a "temporary telecommunications outage." Secretary Duffy pointed to a communication issue affecting all Air Route Traffic Control Centers. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said there was no indication of a "nefarious act." |
| Who is affected | Departing flights at every U.S. airport. Inbound international flights are handled case by case. |
| How long | "Until further notice." The advisory's estimated end time was 10 p.m. Central (11 p.m. Eastern). |
| Last time it happened | January 2023, when the FAA's NOTAM system failed. |
Before the nationwide order, the FAA had already stopped flights at Chicago's O'Hare and Midway airports because of an equipment outage, ABC News reported. In Southern California, ABC7 reported that LAX and other local airports were not letting any planes depart. In Oklahoma, Tulsa International Airport said one aircraft had turned around and four other flights had not taken off, News On 6 reported. Pittsburgh International Airport was listing delays for at least 43 flights and four cancellations at 4:43 p.m., WPXI reported. United Airlines said flights already in the air would continue, and that "new domestic flights will not depart while the FAA ground stop remains in place," NBC Chicago reported.
What we don't know yet
- The exact cause. The FAA called it a "temporary telecommunications outage," and other officials have described the same communications problem (Duffy said it affected all of the centers, an FAA spokesperson said multiple centers), but none had said what caused the outage. One law enforcement source told CBS News the issue had to do with radio frequencies. The Washington Examiner, which said it was notified by two FAA employees, reported that a "rolling frequency outage" affecting facilities that monitor planes in the air was behind the halt. The FAA had not confirmed that account as of early Friday evening.
- When flights will resume. No restart time had been announced. Once departures restart, airlines still have to move crews and aircraft back into place, so delays and cancellations can carry into the next day.
- How many travelers are affected. No official count of delayed or canceled flights had been published as of early Friday evening. About 11,000 flights had been scheduled to depart U.S. airports after 4 p.m. Eastern on Friday, according to flight-data firm Cirium, CNBC reported. FlightAware showed at least 8,000 delays and 400 cancellations, CBS News reported, and Flightradar24 said about 3,100 aircraft bound for U.S. airports were in the air when the stop began.
How rare is a nationwide ground stop?
Very rare. After the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, the FAA halted all civilian air traffic in U.S. airspace and ordered planes in the air to land at the nearest available airports. In January 2023, a failure of the FAA's Notice to Air Missions system, known as NOTAM, led the agency to pause domestic departures nationwide; news reports at the time counted more than 10,000 delays and more than 1,300 cancellations that day. ABC News reported that Friday's order is only the second nationwide ground stop since 2001.
If your flight is held: what to do now
- Check with your airline first. Airlines decide what happens to each flight once departures restart, and they post changes in their apps and on their websites. Ask before you rebook or leave the airport.
- Follow the FAA's own updates. The FAA lists ground stops and delays by airport on its National Airspace System Status page.
- Decide early if the trip can't wait. If you have to be somewhere tonight or tomorrow (a wedding, a game, a funeral, a work shift or a cruise departure) and the drive is realistic, booking ground transportation early gives you the most choice.
- Traveling as a group? Teams, tour groups, wedding parties and conference delegates can stay together on one charter bus or minibus instead of splitting into rental cars.
Getting there by road: which vehicle fits your group
Seat counts are typical of the vehicles listed on RentX. Tell us how much luggage you have, because bags take space too.
| Group size | Vehicle | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| 1 to 3 | Black car (sedan) | Door to door with a professional chauffeur |
| Up to 6 | SUV, such as a Cadillac Escalade or Chevrolet Suburban | More room for bags than a sedan |
| Up to 8 | Stretch limousine | One vehicle for a small party |
| About 10 to 16 | Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van | Keeps a small team or family together |
| About 20 to 44 | Minibus | A mid-size group with luggage |
| Up to 56 | Charter bus (motorcoach) | Luggage bays under the floor on full-size coaches |
Charter buses for whole groups
A full-size motorcoach keeps a team, a tour or a wedding party together, with one driver and one pickup. For a long drive home, it is often simpler than renting several cars. We arrange charter buses nationwide, including in Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles and New York.
Minibuses and Sprinter vans for mid-size groups
For 10 to 40 people, a Sprinter van, a minibus or a shuttle bus is easier to park and quicker to load than a full coach, which helps when you are collecting people from a terminal curb.
SUVs and black cars for families and business travelers
If there are just a few of you, an SUV or a black car with a chauffeur takes you door to door, so you can rest or work on the way. In New York City, see our New York black car service.
Limousines
A stretch limousine seats up to eight in one vehicle. It suits a wedding party or a small group that still needs to reach a celebration this weekend.
Airport transfers when flights restart
When departures resume, many flights will land late. An airport transfer booked ahead means a car is waiting when you land, without a late-night line for a ride. We arrange them in cities including Dallas, Los Angeles, Orlando and Las Vegas.
How RentX is handling last-minute requests
On Thursday, a day before the ground stop, our team answered a busy run of last-minute calls and bookings from travelers whose flights at JFK and other airports were delayed or moved. We got them on their way in black cars, SUVs, Sprinter vans, minivans, minibuses and charter buses.
Now we are taking last-minute ground transportation requests from travelers and groups across the U.S.: charter buses and coaches, minibuses, Sprinter vans, minivans, SUVs, black cars and limousines.
For the fastest answer, tell us:
- where you are now (the airport, terminal or hotel)
- where you need to go, and by when
- how many people are traveling, and how much luggage you have
On a night like this, what's available changes by the hour, so the sooner you ask, the more choice you'll have. We'll tell you plainly what we can and can't arrange. Request a quote or call 888-957-3689.
Frequently asked questions
Are all flights in the U.S. grounded?
On Friday afternoon, Nov. 13, the FAA ordered departing flights at all U.S. airports to stay on the ground until further notice. Inbound international flights were handled case by case. Check your airline and the FAA's status page for the latest.
Why did the FAA issue a nationwide ground stop?
The FAA cited "extraordinary circumstances" and "reasons of safety," and later described a "temporary telecommunications outage." Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said a communication issue affected all of the FAA's Air Route Traffic Control Centers, and Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said there was no indication it was a "nefarious act." As of early Friday evening, officials had not said what caused it.
When will flights resume?
No restart time had been confirmed as of early Friday evening. An FAA advisory listed an estimated end time of 10 p.m. Central (11 p.m. Eastern), but the agency said departures would stay grounded until further notice. Delays can carry into the next day as airlines reposition crews and aircraft.
Has this happened before?
Rarely. The FAA halted all civilian flights after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, and paused domestic departures nationwide in January 2023 when its NOTAM system failed.
Can I book a charter bus or a car for tonight?
Yes, we're taking last-minute requests across the U.S. What we can arrange depends on where you are, when you need to leave and how many of you there are, so ask as early as you can.
What size vehicle do I need?
As a guide: a black car for up to three, an SUV for up to six, a stretch limousine for up to eight, a Sprinter van for about 10 to 16, a minibus for about 20 to 44 and a charter bus for up to 56. Luggage counts too, so tell us what you're bringing.