NEWARK, NJ — Air travelers across the United States faced another day of widespread disruptions Saturday, November 14, as airlines struggled to recover from a nationwide flight shutdown caused by a major air traffic control communications failure.
Although the Federal Aviation Administration lifted its emergency ground stop Friday evening, thousands of flights remained canceled or delayed, including departures and arrivals at Newark Liberty International Airport, John F. Kennedy International Airport and LaGuardia Airport.
According to FlightAware data reported by ABC News on Saturday morning, 12,506 flights had been canceled across Friday and Saturday combined.
Friday accounted for 9,132 cancellations and 7,030 delays. By Saturday morning, an additional 3,374 flights had been canceled and more than 1,000 delayed.
The figures were expected to change throughout the day as airlines continued adjusting schedules and repositioning aircraft and crews.
Newark and New York Airports Face Continuing Disruptions
The New York metropolitan area’s three major airports were among those affected by Friday’s unprecedented interruption.
At Newark Liberty International Airport, passengers experienced lengthy delays, cancellations and uncertainty as airlines attempted to reorganize their operations.
Similar scenes unfolded at JFK and LaGuardia, where travelers waited for information about canceled flights and alternative departures.
The situation was especially difficult for passengers with connecting flights, international itineraries or travel plans involving multiple airlines.
Even after federal authorities authorized departures to resume, airport operations could not immediately return to normal.
Aircraft were stranded away from their scheduled destinations, crews faced disrupted assignments and airlines needed time to rebuild their flight schedules.
What Caused the Nationwide Shutdown?
The FAA ordered the nationwide ground stop shortly before 4 p.m. Eastern on Friday after communications problems affected the country’s regional air traffic control centers.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the incident involved aging air traffic control technology that became overloaded with data, causing instability in the communications system.
Officials said there was no indication that the disruption resulted from a cyberattack.
The ground stop lasted more than four hours before the FAA began allowing aircraft to depart again shortly after 8 p.m.
The agency said its systems had undergone testing to confirm they were stable before normal departures were authorized.
The shutdown was the first nationwide ground stop since January 2023, when a malfunction in an FAA computer system temporarily halted domestic departures.
Airlines Cancel Flights as Disruption Spreads
Major airlines were forced to make significant schedule changes Friday evening.
JetBlue canceled nearly all its remaining domestic departures, while United Airlines also announced widespread cancellations.
Air Canada suspended flights between the United States and Canada for the remainder of Friday evening.
The disruptions extended beyond flights scheduled to depart from U.S. airports, affecting international connections and passengers traveling between continents.
Airlines warned that the effects would continue into Saturday because aircraft and flight crews were no longer in the locations required for their normal schedules.
Aging Air Traffic Control Technology Under Scrutiny
The incident has renewed concerns about the condition of the nation’s air traffic control infrastructure.
Speaking after the shutdown, Duffy called for emergency federal funding to modernize systems that rely on aging communications equipment.
He estimated that a comprehensive overhaul could cost approximately $50 billion.
The outage demonstrated how problems within a centralized air traffic management network can quickly affect airports, airlines and passengers nationwide.
Although the system was restored Friday evening, the disruption left airlines dealing with thousands of canceled flights and a substantial operational backlog.
What Travelers Should Know
Passengers scheduled to fly through Newark, JFK, LaGuardia or other U.S. airports are being advised to check their flight status directly with their airline before leaving for the airport.
Airlines generally must provide refunds for canceled flights when passengers choose not to travel, while affected passengers may also be offered rebooking options.
However, additional compensation is not generally required when cancellations result from an FAA communications failure outside an airline’s control.
Travelers should also check whether their airline has issued a temporary travel waiver allowing them to change flights without additional fees.
With the busy Thanksgiving travel season approaching, the incident has raised fresh questions about the resilience of the nation’s aviation system and the urgency of modernizing its technology.
Sources: ABC News; Associated Press; News 12 New Jersey; ABC7 New York; Federal Aviation Administration; FlightAware; U.S. Department of Transportation.
By NJ RADAR Team