GROUND STOP LIFTED · DISRUPTIONS CONTINUE
America’s skies reopen.
The delays remain.
A nationwide FAA departure halt disrupted air travel on November 13, 2026. Officials blamed instability in aging communications and radar infrastructure; reopening the airspace began a slower recovery for airlines and passengers.
Published November 14, 2026 • Reporting snapshot, not a live flight-status feed
Departures paused
The FAA halted departures as a safety precaution following intermittent telecommunications outages. [1]
Airspace reopened
The restriction ended Friday evening, but permission to depart did not mean every flight could leave immediately. [1]
Schedules still disrupted
Aircraft positioning and crew availability continued to determine which services could operate. [1]
What officials say happened
The U.S. Department of Transportation described intermittent telecommunications failures affecting air traffic control communications and radar reliability. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy attributed the instability to older switches and routers becoming overloaded with data. This is the administration’s explanation, rather than an independent technical finding. [1]
From shutdown to recovery
Sequence of events; spacing does not represent elapsed time.
Unreliable communications and radar data trigger a safety response.
New departures pause while controllers manage aircraft already airborne.
Airspace reopens; airlines work through displaced aircraft, crews and passengers.
Inside the terminals
Photos supplied for this article. Location, capture date and photographer credits were not provided.
Why delays outlast a ground stop
Airline schedules are linked networks. A delayed aircraft may miss its next assignment, and a crew may no longer be available for the planned departure. Connecting passengers can therefore face disruption even after the original restriction ends. This is operational context, not a forecast for any particular airline.
| Pressure point | Possible passenger impact | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Aircraft availability | A flight waits for its inbound plane. | Airline flight status and inbound aircraft updates. |
| Crew availability | Departure changes or cancellation. | Confirmed rebooking options with the carrier. |
| Missed connections | Later onward travel or an overnight stop. | Every segment of the itinerary. |
| Baggage handling | Bags may travel separately after rebooking. | Baggage tracking and the airline service desk. |
Flight schedules: arrivals & departures
Open an airport’s current flight board to check scheduled and revised times, flight numbers and status. These links open the provider’s updated schedule; flight data is not streamed into this article.
| Airport | Code | Schedule board | Provider |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York · John F. Kennedy | JFK | Arrivals & departures ↗ | Official airport |
| Atlanta · Hartsfield–Jackson | ATL | Arrivals & departures ↗ | Official airport |
| Accra · Accra International | ACC | Arrivals & departures ↗ | FlightAware |
| Monrovia · Roberts International | ROB | Arrivals ↗ · Departures ↗ | Airportia |
Reading your flight schedule
Scheduled: original timetable. Estimated: revised expected time. Actual: recorded departure or arrival. Check the time zone shown on the provider’s board and confirm gate changes directly with your airline.
A flight showing “scheduled†is not a guarantee it will operate. For connections, check each flight separately. Provider access and update frequency may vary.
For Africa–U.S. travelers
Travelers connecting between African cities and U.S. destinations should check the U.S. domestic leg as well as the long-haul service. A confirmed international flight does not establish that a connecting domestic flight will operate. This is a connection-risk assessment, not a claim that any named African route was canceled.
Passenger checklist
- Check the airline’s app and airport departure information before traveling.
- Confirm the entire itinerary after any rebooking.
- Ask the carrier which alternatives and assistance apply to your ticket.
- Keep receipts and screenshots of cancellation or delay notices.
Video
New York Times live coverage
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Sources & reporting notes
[1] U.S. Department of Transportation briefing, November 13, 2026 — official account of the disruption, equipment explanation and reopening.
[2] Al Jazeera / Reuters, November 13, 2026 — corroborating coverage of the nationwide departure halt and resumption.
The New York Times page could not be independently retrieved for this presentation. Its headline and summary were supplied by the requester. This presentation uses original summaries supported by the sources above. No live totals, airport-specific delay estimates or quantitative charts are asserted.


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