The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ordered a rare nationwide ground stop Friday, November 13, suspending departing flights at airports across the United States after a communications failure disrupted the nation's air traffic control system. The shutdown affected flight operations nationwide, leaving thousands of passengers stranded, disrupting airline schedules and creating uncertainty for travelers and organizations relying on air transportation.

The FAA initially announced that departures were being halted because of "extraordinary circumstances and for reasons of safety." The agency said the decision followed a communications issue affecting air traffic control facilities responsible for directing aircraft traveling between airports. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy later confirmed that the problem was affecting all 22 regional Air Route Traffic Control Centers, which manage aircraft as they travel through the nation's airspace.

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin told reporters that the disruption was caused by a telecommunications outage. Mullin also said there was no indication the incident was the result of a "nefarious attack," addressing concerns about whether the nationwide communications failure could have been caused by deliberate interference.

The disruption prompted widespread cancellations and delays as airlines were forced to adjust their schedules. More than 4,000 flights had been canceled amid the incident, with passengers facing uncertainty over when they would be able to depart. The ground stop also affected professional and college sports organizations attempting to travel to scheduled games, including NBA, NHL and college football teams. NFL teams also faced questions about whether the disruption would interfere with travel plans ahead of this weekend's games.

As the FAA worked to restore normal operations, the agency provided an update shortly after 6 p.m. ET Friday, confirming that the nationwide ground stop remained in effect. However, officials announced that some departures would be permitted through coordination with the Air Traffic Control System Command Center.

"Flights will be allowed to depart through coordination with the air traffic control system command center," the FAA said, explaining that the process would continue as en route facilities recovered.

The announcement represented a limited resumption of departures rather than a full lifting of the nationwide ground stop. Flights would be permitted to leave airports under coordination with the command center while affected air traffic control facilities continued working toward recovery. The arrangement allowed some flight operations to resume while the FAA maintained oversight of departures during the ongoing disruption.

The FAA had not announced a definitive timeline for fully restoring normal operations. Airlines, passengers and sports organizations continued facing uncertainty as the agency worked to address the telecommunications outage and return the nation's air traffic control system to normal service.