Open Veils · Answer
When was the last FAA groundstop in the us and why?
The most recent FAA nationwide ground stop occurred on November 13, 2026, when a 'rolling frequency outage' hit multiple Air Route Traffic Control Centers simultaneously. The FAA cited ATC communication and radar failures affecting all U.S. centers, with Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy confirming the stop publicly. This was only the third nationwide ground stop since 9/11, following the January 2023 NOTAM system collapse.
Evidence
- Per ABC News, CNBC, and the SF Chronicle (all November 13, 2026), the FAA ordered a full nationwide ground stop Friday afternoon, halting all departing traffic and holding inbound international flights, citing 'extraordinary circumstances and for reasons of safety.'
- An internal Alaska Airlines message obtained by CNBC described the root cause as communications and radar failures cascading across facilities.
- The Washington Examiner reported it was notified by two FAA employees moments after the stop was ordered, suggesting internal alarm about the scope.
- For historical context, the previous nationwide stop was January 2023, when the FAA's NOTAM (Notice to Air Missions) system failed and pilots could not receive required preflight safety paperwork — a single-system failure.
- The FAA's own alert called it a 'rolling frequency outage' affecting every Air Route Traffic Control Center in the country — a systemic failure rather than a localized outage.