FAA Ground Stop Ends After Five Hours, Disrupting Thousands of Flights

The Federal Aviation Administration lifted its nationwide ground stop on Friday evening, November 13, after a communications failure halted air traffic for five hours. More than 6,300 flights within, into or out of the United States had been canceled, and 9,500 delayed, FlightAware figures showed. Freight and mail flights were affected as well. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said delays would continue as the system recovered.

The failure involved the FAA Telecommunications Infrastructure, a private network that carries communications among the agency, controllers and pilots. Its operator, L3Harris Technologies, is also working on a multiyear effort to replace aging copper lines with fiber-optic cables. The company said in May that the project was halfway complete; earlier this month, it said 70 percent of FAA sites had been upgraded.

The FAA selected AT&T in August to build a replacement network under a $73 million contract, with costs expected to grow substantially over time. L3Harris is to keep operating the existing network during the transition. The Trump administration has set a goal of overhauling air traffic control by the end of 2028.

A retired Southwest Airlines pilot, Kenneth Wells, told KTTV he was not convinced outdated technology caused Friday’s failure. He warned that resolving the problem would take time, with holiday travel approaching. A September Government Accountability Office report raised concerns that the FAA’s accelerated modernization work may put speed ahead of cost and disruption management, and found the agency lacked a well-documented lifecycle cost estimate and an integrated master schedule. Duffy had also asked congressional leaders to approve $30.1 billion for air traffic control upgrades and airport improvements.

FAA Network Failure Shows the Cost of Rushed Modernization

A communications failure at the heart of the nation’s air traffic system grounded flights across the country for five hours on Friday, November 13. By the time the stop ended, more than 6,300 flights had been canceled and 9,500 delayed, with freight and mail service also affected. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the disruption would take time to unwind.

The failed FAA Telecommunications Infrastructure network connects the agency, controllers and pilots. L3Harris is responsible for operating the legacy system while a multiyear modernization replaces copper lines with fiber. The company said 70 percent of FAA sites had been upgraded earlier this month, but the network’s failure underscores the stakes of managing a complex transition without reliable, integrated planning.

A September Government Accountability Office review warned that the FAA’s push to speed up modernization could favor speed over costs and disruption. It found no well-documented lifecycle cost estimate and 11,389 schedules that were not integrated into a master plan. Those gaps matter when the system is responsible for keeping flights moving safely.

The Trump administration wants an air traffic control overhaul completed by the end of 2028. Duffy has asked Congress for $30.1 billion for system upgrades and airport improvements. A retired pilot also questioned whether old technology caused Friday’s failure, while warning that a fix would not come overnight. With holiday travel approaching, the episode leaves the public facing continued delays as officials press ahead with upgrades whose planning and costs have drawn scrutiny.

Air Traffic Breakdown Puts Modernization and Accountability in Focus

A failure in the FAA’s communications backbone brought nationwide air traffic to a halt for five hours on Friday, November 13. More than 6,300 flights were canceled and 9,500 delayed, while freight and mail operations were also affected. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said recovery would take time, and a retired pilot warned that the problem would not be fixed overnight as holiday travel approaches.

The incident involved the FAA Telecommunications Infrastructure, which carries communications among the agency, controllers and pilots. L3Harris is upgrading the aging network, replacing copper with fiber, and said 70 percent of FAA sites had been converted earlier this month. AT&T was selected in August to build a replacement system under an initial $73 million contract, while L3Harris continues operating the existing network.

The Trump administration has set a 2028 deadline for an air traffic control overhaul, and Duffy has asked Congress for $30.1 billion to upgrade the system and airports. The scale of the disruption shows why modernizing critical infrastructure cannot be postponed; the country needs a communications system capable of supporting dependable air travel and newer aircraft.

The transition must also be managed competently. A September Government Accountability Office report found that the FAA lacked a well-documented lifecycle cost estimate and had 11,389 schedules that were not integrated. Its concerns about speed, cost and disruption are a reminder that a deadline alone is not enough: federal officials must deliver a workable upgrade while maintaining the system travelers rely on.