The FAA lifted its nationwide suspension of takeoffs after more than four hours of disruption, following thousands of flight cancellations across the United States. (Foto: Instagram)
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) lifted a nationwide suspension of takeoffs after more than four hours of air traffic disruption. In a statement issued at about 10 p.m. Friday, Nov. 13, the agency rescinded its earlier order, which had halted all departures for what it described as safety reasons amid extraordinary circumstances.
More than 8,000 flights were canceled in the United States, according to flight-tracking site Flight Radar. Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport recorded 722 cancellations, Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport had 691, and Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport in Texas had 491. Airports in New York, Denver, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Boston, Newark, Washington and Seattle were also affected.
At least 1.5 million people were stranded because of the cancellations, according to an analysis by data firm Cirium. The disruption also affected international travel. Air Canada said it would cancel all flights to the United States for the rest of the night and warned that flights between Canada, the Caribbean and South America that cross U.S. airspace could also be affected.
Eurocontrol, the European air traffic coordination authority, temporarily suspended departures to the United States from its 42 member countries at the FAA’s request. The suspension was scheduled to remain in effect until 2 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 14, Brasília time. Flights bound for the United States from major airports in the Asia-Pacific region also experienced delays.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the shutdown was prompted by instability at radar centers and in air traffic communications nationwide. He blamed what he called an “incredibly outdated air traffic control system” for the suspension.
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said officials had found no indication of a cyberattack, but that they were still examining possibilities and would not rule one out. “There is no indication of that. We have seen no traces, and we have not identified anyone who accessed the system,” he said. Mullin added that the government was continuing to review the options.
The previous nationwide halt to U.S. takeoffs occurred in January 2023, after a failure in the system used to notify pilots. Before that, the measure had been used only once, following the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.
