US transport. sec. says it is safe to fly as airlines recover from nationwide disruption

• Travelers should expect continued delays and cancellations as airlines rearrange schedules and reposition aircraft and crews.
• The Transportation Department is coordinating with airlines to support the recovery and prioritize getting passengers home safely.
• Duffy announced a press briefing at 10:30 a.m. ET at the department's headquarters to provide further updates.

US air travel operations are gradually returning to normal following a nationwide ground stop that halted departing flights across the country for more than four hours on Friday, with Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy saying Saturday that aircraft were once again taking off and it was safe to fly.

In an update posted on X, Duffy said planes were pushing back from gates, taxiing and departing as airlines worked to restore normal operations. However, he warned that passengers should expect continued delays and cancellations as carriers reschedule flights and reposition aircraft and crews.

The disruption began Friday afternoon when the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ordered a nationwide ground stop after telecommunications problems affected air traffic control systems across the United States.

The FAA imposed the restriction as a precaution after intermittent outages disrupted communications and radar systems used by air traffic controllers at regional centers and facilities responsible for managing flights between airports.

Duffy said the problems began at approximately 3:36 p.m. Eastern Time, when authorities detected instability in radar data and communications with aircraft. He said more than 3,500 planes were in the air when the disruption began, prompting officials to activate established safety procedures and halt departing traffic.

The transportation secretary attributed the problem to the country's aging air traffic control infrastructure, saying the system experienced instability as communications and radar data became inconsistent. Officials said the ground stop was imposed to protect passengers and crews.

The FAA lifted the nationwide restriction at approximately 8:15 p.m. Eastern Time on Friday, allowing departures to resume gradually. However, the shutdown caused widespread disruption, with thousands of flights canceled and delayed, leaving passengers stranded at airports across the country. The recovery was expected to take longer as airlines worked to restore aircraft and crew schedules.

On Saturday, Duffy said the Transportation Department was coordinating closely with airlines to support the recovery, stressing that the priority was getting travelers home safely as quickly as possible.

He also thanked air traffic controllers, pilots and flight crews for working around the clock and announced a press briefing at 10:30 a.m. Eastern Time at the Department of Transportation headquarters to provide further updates.

Passengers have been advised to check their flight status directly with their airlines and consult the FAA's real-time airport status updates

Here’s the latest: Operations are slowly returning to normal this morning. Planes are pushing back, taxiing, and taking off, and it is safe to fly. We are in close coordination with the airlines to support the ongoing recovery. You will continue to see some delays and cancellations as carriers reschedule flights and reposition aircraft/crews where they are needed most. Our top priority right now is making sure travelers get home safely to their families as quickly as possible. To our air traffic controllers, pilots, and flight crews who are working around the clock: the nation thanks you for your professionalism and dedication to the flying public. We’ll be holding a press briefing to share additional updates at 10:30AM ET at USDOT headquarters. Please continue to check your flight status directly with your airline, and visit https://t.co/5jvR1ktpk5 for real-time airport updates.

— Secretary Sean Duffy (@SecDuffy) November 14, 2026