FAA Grounds CA Flights Under Nationwide 'Extraordinary Circumstances' Order

Traffic & Transit FAA Grounds CA Flights Under Nationwide 'Extraordinary Circumstances' Order Travelers across California are being told to expect major disruptions. Chris Lindahl , Patch Staff Posted Fri, Nov 13, 2026 at 1:32 pm PT | Updated Fri, Nov 13, 2026 at 2:01 pm PT All flights in the U.S. have been grounded until further notice after the Federal Aviation Administration issued a nationwide ground stop Friday afternoon. The FAA notice said the ground stop was being imposed “due to extraordinary circumstances and for reasons of safety." The order impacts all airports in the country. It was issued "following a communication issue" impacting all 22 of the regional air traffic control centers that direct planes between airports nationwide, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy wrote in a social post. Find out what's happening in Los Angeles for free with the latest updates from Patch. Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to Patch's Privacy Policy and Terms of Use . Those centers are responsible for all flights in the nation's airspace above 18,000 feet — mostly after they've taken off and are heading to their destination airports, according to the FAA. FAA technicians were investigating the issue, Duffy said. Officials have not described the exact nature or extent of the problem. Find out what's happening in Los Angeles for free with the latest updates from Patch. Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to Patch's Privacy Policy and Terms of Use . Nationwide ground stops are exceedingly rare. The last one was in January 2023, when key FAA computer system malfunctioned. Before that the last time had been after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. The FAA sent the alert to nationwide airports Friday and noted that all traffic should remain ground stopped until further notice, and "inbound international flights will be managed on a case-by-case basis." The ground stop is expected to lead to wide-reaching impacts. "The nationwide pause in departures could have widespread effects. Even if short-lived, the disruption will delay thousands of flights. If it lasts long, those delays could turn into cancellations as flight crews reach legal working limits. That would have cascading effects throughout the weekend," the New York Times reported. Flight-tracking website FlightAware reported as of 2 p.m. reported 7,884 delayed flights and nearly 1,000 cancelations. That includes about a quarter of all the flights into and out of LAX on Friday. And 36% of the day's flights out of SFO were delayed, along with 46% of flights out of the airport. Singer John Ondrasik, better known as the performer Five For Fighting, wrote on X that he was stuck on the tarmac Friday afternoon after landing at LAX. Ontario International Airport officials said they are "monitoring the situation closely and will provide updates as soon as they are available." Airport officials urged passengers to check with their airlines for the latest flight information. Delta Air Lines suggested passengers visit the Delta app or website to check their flight status. This is a developing story, refresh for updates. Material from the Associated Press and City News Service was used in this report. Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts. Share Join the conversation