# 4-hour, 22-minute nationwide ground stop Friday grounded about 633,000 travelers Published November 13, 2026, 9:01 PM ET By Ryan Hall, Y'all Written by our automated news desk from National Weather Service data. A nationwide FAA ground stop halted departures across the lower 48 from 3:53 PM to about 8:15 PM ET Friday, Nov. 13, lasting 4 hours and 22 minutes. We estimate about 633,000 travelers were grounded. CBS News reports a failed update to the FAA's telecom network was behind it, and officials say there is no sign of an attack. Southwest and JetBlue canceled the rest of their Friday flights, so check your airline app before heading out Saturday. ## Key points - **Where:** Airports across the lower 48, under one nationwide ground stop. - **When:** 3:53 PM ET to about 8:15 PM ET Friday. - **What:** Planes in the air over the lower 48 fell from 4,266 at 4:08 PM ET to a low of 336 at 8:18 PM ET. - **Cause:** CBS News, citing multiple sources, reports a failed update to the FAA's telecom network. The FAA and the contractor have not confirmed that. - **What it means:** Expect ripple delays and some cancellations Saturday, Nov. 14. Check your airline app first. ![One failed update grounded America: inside Friday's nationwide ground stop (graphic by the Ryan Hall, Y'all newsroom)](https://public.yallsoft.app/rhy/blog/images/2026-11-13-news-newsroom-76729138-0-0150.png) A nationwide FAA ground stop halted departures across the lower 48 from 3:53 PM to about 8:15 PM ET on Friday, Nov. 13, a stretch of 4 hours and 22 minutes. We estimate about 633,000 travelers were grounded, and it is the longest ground stop since 9/11 as far as we can find. Planes are flying again, but airlines are still cleaning up the mess. ## What happened Friday afternoon The first clue came at 3:44 PM ET, when a weather service notice said Boston Center had reported "teleco issues." The ground stop started at 3:53 PM ET. At 5:04 PM ET, the FAA called it a "temporary telecommunications outage." That is about 80 minutes after the first notice. The stop ended around 8:15 PM ET. Planes in the air over the lower 48 kept falling for a few minutes after that. The count bottomed out at 336 at 8:18 PM ET, according to OpenSky data on all aircraft. ## How many people it hit Our estimate of 633,000 grounded travelers comes from flight counts. There were 5,758 fewer U.S. passenger departures between 3:53 and 8:15 PM ET than during the same hours last Friday, per FlightRadar24. That is a stand-in for people who did not fly, not an official count. ## What caused it CBS News reports that a failed update to the FAA's telecom network crashed the system connecting air traffic control facilities. The Wall Street Journal also ties the outage to the network run by contractor L3Harris. Neither the FAA nor L3Harris has confirmed that cause. The FBI and the Department of Homeland Security say there is no sign of an attack. ## What to do before you fly Saturday Check your airline app before you leave for the airport, and again once you get there. Southwest and JetBlue canceled the rest of their Friday flights. Reuters reports JetBlue has also canceled some Saturday flights. - Rebook in the app instead of waiting in the customer service line. - If you have a tight connection Saturday, ask about an earlier or later option. - Watch our [airport delay outlook](/airports) for the weather side of the picture. - Sign up for free [Y'all Alerts](/alerts) if you want updates sent to you. ## Weather risks are limited No severe storms are expected Friday or Saturday in the lower 48. Saturday does carry a Level 1 of 4 (Marginal) flash flood risk over parts of Texas, Oklahoma and Washington state. Storms will move through north-central Texas Saturday night, so keep a little extra patience if you connect through Dallas. Sunday brings a Level 1 of 5 (Marginal) severe risk across Texas. See the [severe outlook](/severe) for details. In the mountains near Lake Tahoe, a winter storm warning runs until 10 AM PST Saturday. It brings heavy wet snow and gusts of 45 to 55 mph in Truckee and Lake Tahoe communities. That could affect travel to and from Reno. ## Bottom line A failed update to the FAA's telecom network, per CBS News, kept the lower 48 on the ground for 4 hours and 22 minutes Friday. Check your airline app before you head to the airport Saturday, because the knock-on delays and cancellations are not over yet. Places in this story: Boston, MA --- Canonical: https://ryanhallyall.com/news/4-hour-22-minute-nationwide-ground-stop-friday-grounded-about-633000-travelers From Ryan Hall, Y'all (https://ryanhallyall.com). Always follow official warnings from the National Weather Service.