RismadarVoice Reporters
November 14, 2026
The United States has reopened its airspace following a nationwide aviation disruption that grounded departing flights for more than four hours, with officials attributing the incident to ageing air traffic control equipment.
US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced the reopening during a White House briefing on Friday night, explaining that flight operations resumed at 8:15 p.m. Eastern Time.
However, he warned that airlines would require additional time to clear the backlog of delayed and cancelled flights.
The disruption affected airports across the country after technical problems caused inconsistencies in radar information and communications between air traffic controllers and aircraft.
According to Duffy, overloaded network switches and routers within the ageing air traffic control system contributed to the failure.
He explained that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ordered the nationwide ground stop as a precaution to protect passengers and ensure aviation safety.
More than 3,500 aircraft were airborne when the disruption began, with authorities allowing them to land safely while restricting further departures.
The incident caused widespread travel difficulties, leaving thousands of passengers stranded and disrupting airline schedules.
Duffy said the affected systems had been stabilised before the FAA authorised the resumption of operations.
He also renewed calls for Congress to approve approximately $30 billion for the modernisation of the country’s air traffic control infrastructure.
The funding request had been submitted shortly before the disruption, highlighting longstanding concerns about outdated aviation technology.
Meanwhile, Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin dismissed speculation linking the incident to a global Microsoft outage.
Mullin said preliminary investigations had found no evidence of a coordinated cyberattack against the United States.
He explained that security agencies had not identified suspicious activity indicating that malicious actors were responsible for the disruption.
However, he acknowledged that investigations were continuing and that authorities had not completely ruled out other possible causes.
Both officials defended the government’s response, maintaining that President Donald Trump had been briefed and remained in contact with relevant agencies throughout the incident.
The Transportation Secretary assured passengers that aviation safety remained the government’s priority.
He advised travellers to contact their airlines for updated flight schedules as airports gradually restored normal operations.
Although the nationwide ground stop has been lifted, delays and cancellations may continue while airlines reposition aircraft, arrange flight crews and clear outstanding passenger bookings.
Federal authorities are expected to continue investigating the technical failure and assessing measures to prevent similar disruptions.
