# FAA blames Friday's ground stop on 'equipment issue' during telecoms network upgrade

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8 outlets covering · First listed: NPR, Nov 14, 2026, 10:53 AM · Read it: <https://www.npr.org/2026/11/14/nx-s1-6040952/faa-ground-stop-airplane-travel>

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said initial investigations pointed to an issue with contractor L3Harris updating old tech at a remote location.

AI summary (may contain mistakes): A nationwide FAA ground stop halted flights and left thousands canceled and delayed; airlines worked Saturday to recover and some U.S. flights resumed, according to The Hill, Washington Times and CNN. Officials attributed the stop to a routine equipment upgrade, according to TechCrunch, while CBS News reported officials cited aging system infrastructure and legacy technology.

## Who's covering it

In the order they published:

- Nov 13, 2026, 3:23 PM: [FAA orders nationwide ground stop](<https://thehill.com/policy/transportation/6219722-faa-issues-us-flight-ground-stop/>) — The Hill (Newspaper, United States, rated Center)
  The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a nationwide ground stop for all U.S. flights, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy confirmed Friday. “The @FAANews \[FAA\] issued a nationwide ground stop for all U.S. airports following a communication issue impacting all Air Route Traffic Control Centers,” Duffy wrote on the social platform X. “FAA technicians are investigating the…
- Nov 13, 2026, 4:41 PM: [FAA ground stop updates: Heres what we know](<https://mashable.com/tech/faa-ground-stop-updates-what-we-know>) — Mashable (Digital news, United States)
  Here's what we know about the unexpected nationwide ground stoppage ordered by the FAA on Friday.
- Nov 13, 2026, 4:42 PM: [All US flights grounded by FAA](<https://www.theregister.com/offbeat/2026/11/13/all-us-flights-grounded-by-faa/5309912>) — The Register (Digital news, United Kingdom)
  Safety reasons and unspecified communications issue cited
- Nov 13, 2026, 7:46 PM: [The FAA Nationwide Ground Stop Is Over](<https://www.wired.com/story/the-faa-nationwide-ground-stop-is-over/>) — Wired (Magazine, United States)
  The five-hour ordeal ended Friday evening. Planes will be allowed to fly again, but the effects of the stoppage will be felt throughout the weekend.
- Nov 13, 2026, 10:47 PM: [What to Know About Friday’s Nationwide Ground Stop](<https://www.nytimes.com/2026/11/13/us/faa-ground-stop-flights-what-to-know.html>) — New York Times (Newspaper, United States, rated Lean left)
  The air traffic control system’s overloaded, antiquated telecommunications equipment sustained its latest widespread failure, prompting a call for more money to fuel faster upgrades.
- Nov 14, 2026, 1:07 AM: [Microsoft Blames 365 Outage on Network Upgrade Issue](<https://thedefiant.io/frontier/infrastructure/microsoft-blames-365-outage-on-network-upgrade-issue>) — The Defiant (Specialist)
  Microsoft apologized and said the incident was unrelated to cyber activity or AI agents. Its status account now says service is restored to remaining affected customers and regions.
- Nov 14, 2026, 10:53 AM: [FAA blames Friday's ground stop on 'equipment issue' during telecoms network upgrade](<https://www.npr.org/2026/11/14/nx-s1-6040952/faa-ground-stop-airplane-travel>) — NPR (Public broadcaster, United States, rated Lean left)
  Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said initial investigations pointed to an issue with contractor L3Harris updating old tech at a remote location.
- Nov 14, 2026, 12:02 PM: [US blames system upgrade for longest nationwide FAA ground stop since 9/11](<https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/11/14/us-blames-system-upgrade-for-longest-nationwide-faa-ground-stop-since-9>) — Al Jazeera (TV network, Qatar, rated Lean left)
  Sean Duffy, the country's transportation secretary, said his agency is 'going to hold people accountable'.