FAA begins replacing floppy disks in air traffic control with new digital system
Summary
- The Federal Aviation Administration announced on 5 November 2026 it will replace the floppy disks used in air traffic control with the Enterprise Information Display System (E-IDS).
- E-IDS will replace four 1980s-era display systems at 435 FAA facilities, with installation planned for completion by the end of 2028.
- The first sites are Atlantic City, Nashville, and Rochester airports and FAA data processing hubs in Atlanta and Salt Lake City.
- Controllers use floppy disks to upload pilot reports, weather alerts, and Notices to Airmen into consoles running systems from the 1980s.
- The upgrade has been in the works for over six years, since the FAA awarded Leidos a contract to design E-IDS in August 2020.
- Government reports in 2026 said the legacy display systems rely on obsolete technology and are cumbersome for controllers to search.
Reactions
- Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said, "Good news America: floppy disks are out, 21st century tech is in."
- Duffy said the greatest nation in the world deserves a state-of-the-art air traffic control system, credited to President Trump.
- FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said E-IDS gives controllers information needed for timely decisions and keeps the flying public safe.
- The general reaction to the news was, as one writer put it, "Wait, someone still uses floppy disks?"
- Then-Acting FAA Administrator Chris Rocheleau told the House Appropriations Committee in 2025, "No more floppy disks or paper strips."
Timeline newest first
The Federal Aviation Administration announces it will phase out the floppy disks used in air traffic control at the nation's airports.
Coverage reports the FAA will replace floppy disks with the Enterprise Information Display System at 435 facilities by the end of 2028, ending systems dating to the 1980s.
Reports detail that FAA air traffic controllers use floppy disks to upload pilot reports and advisories into consoles, in systems dating to the 1980s.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announces in Washington that the FAA is replacing floppy disks with E-IDS, starting at Atlantic City, Nashville, Rochester, Atlanta, and Salt Lake City.
Sources newest first
FAA to finally ditch floppy disks in what it calls "historic" tech upgradeAn Ars Technica article covers the FAA's 5 November 2026 announcement that it will stop using floppy disks in air traffic control, replacing display systems dating to the 1980s with the Enterprise Information Display System, an upgrade six years in the works and planned for all 435 facilities by the end of 2028. The FAA calls the change a historic modernization that will speed weather alerts and Notices to Airmen to controllers, while Secretary Sean Duffy says "floppy disks are out, 21st century tech is in."
F.A.A. to Phase Out Floppy Disks in Air Traffic Control TowersA New York Times article reports that the F.A.A. is phasing out floppy disks, which it still uses in air traffic control systems dating to the 1980s, with a new system planned at 400 sites by the end of 2028. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy said the greatest nation in the world deserves a state-of-the-art air traffic control system.
Trump’s Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy Begins Retiring Decades Old Floppy Disks from Air Traffic Control as Part of Ongoing Modernization Effort Deployment of Brand New Air Traffic Control Continues at Record PaceA Department of Transportation press release announces that on 5 November 2026 Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy said the Federal Aviation Administration is replacing decades-old floppy disks with the Enterprise – Information Display System (E-IDS), a single secure digital display giving controllers faster access to weather, alerts, and advisories. E-IDS replaces four 1980s systems at more than 400 FAA facilities, starting with five sites, and the FAA plans to install it in 435 sites by the end of 2028. The release also credits the modernization effort with 69% of copper wires replaced, 143 towers with Surface Awareness Initiative systems, 26 towers on electronic flight strips, and 226 IP Voice Switches installed.
Background newest first
Johnson says ‘we don’t really need any investigation’ on FAA ground stopthehill.com· 4h
The Hill reports that after the FAA's nationwide ground stop on 13 November 2026 — its longest in years, with thousands of flights delayed or canceled — officials attributed it to a contractor's telecom line switch and aging air traffic control equipment. House Speaker Mike Johnson says no investigation is needed, and he, Sean Duffy, and Markwayne Mullin instead call for multibillion-dollar investment to update the system.
‘No answer’: Messaging failures worsened the air traffic freeze and sowed distrust in government | CNN Businesscnn.com· 5h
CNN Business reports that muddled messaging from officials and airlines after the FAA's November 13, 2026 national ground stop stranded travelers, fueled conspiracy theories about AI or hacks, and deepened distrust of the Trump administration, even as Sean Duffy blamed a faulty router or contractor error and Bryan Bedford saw no evidence of anything nefarious. CNN analyst Juliette Kayyem says leaders in a crisis must offer "facts and hope," and says the response lacked both.
'Biggest F**k You To The American People': Critics Slam Duffy Over Flight Shutdown Responsehuffpost.com· 5h
A nationwide flight shutdown grounded U.S. airspace for more than four hours on 14 November 2026 after an FAA communication issue, leaving about 1.5 million people stranded, and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy responded by asking Congress for $50 billion in emergency funding. Critics from both parties slammed the request, with Marjorie Taylor Greene calling the press conference 'the biggest fuck you to the American people' and Kathy Hochul demanding Duffy's resignation and a full investigation.
Transportation secretary blames ‘routine’ equipment upgrade for grounding flights nationwide | TechCrunchtechcrunch.com· 5h
TechCrunch reports that Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy blamed a nationwide ground stop — only the third of the 21st century — on a seemingly routine fiber optic upgrade by FAA contractor L3Harris, saying a router overloaded a critical communication system, with the agency investigating whether the cause was user, installer, or equipment error. More than 8,200 flights were canceled Friday per Cirium, at least 3,000 more Saturday, and Duffy said the timing of such work will be reevaluated while pressing Congress for more funding.
Work to replace old copper wire led to the FAA’s ground stoptheverge.com· 5h
A Verge article reports that a fiber optic upgrade replacing outdated copper wire at a remote FAA facility triggered a nationwide ground stop on November 13, 2026, grounding thousands of flights. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy blamed the newly installed router for flooding the system with over 1,000 connection attempts every 4 to 5 seconds, and called on Congress to fund modernizing air traffic control.
Mike Johnson Tells Fox We ‘Don’t Really Need an Investigation’ to Know What’s Behind Flight Stoppage Drama Ahead of Congress Flippingmediaite.com· 7h
Mediaite reports that House Speaker Mike Johnson, in his first post-midterm interview on Fox News's "Saturday in America," said there is no need to investigate the FAA's mass flight grounding because it comes down to funding, citing the nearly $13 billion Working Families Tax Cut as a down payment on FAA assistance. He said further FAA funding will be part of an "aggressive legislative" package before Republicans lose their congressional majorities in January, echoing Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy's warnings about outdated 1980s-era equipment.
Duffy points finger at FAA contractor for nationwide ground stoppolitico.com· 7h
Oriana Pawlyk's Politico article reports that Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy blamed FAA contractor L3 Harris, questioning whether its months-long switch from copper wire to fiber involved user error or a faulty router, after the FAA ordered a nearly five-hour nationwide ground stop around 3:30 p.m. on Friday, 13 November 2026. Duffy called the FAA system one that "didn't meet the moment," and L3 Harris did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Outage That Swamped Air Travel Blamed on ‘Routine’ Work to Replace Copper Wire
wsj.com· 7h
A Wall Street Journal article by Joseph Pisani reports on the outage that swamped U.S. air travel and sent airlines rushing to reset. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the outage was traced to routine work replacing copper wires with fiber at a single remote facility, which overloaded a router, and that authorities are focused on contractor L3Harris, which he said either installed a faulty router or was "not doing great work for us."
Travelers stranded and thousands of flights canceled after FAA ground stop. Here's what we knowcbsnews.com· 7h
A CBS News article reports that airspace was slowly returning to normal on Saturday, November 14, 2026, after the FAA's first nationwide ground stop since January 2023 canceled thousands of flights and stranded travelers; the stop, issued Friday at 3:36 p.m. EST while about 3,500 planes were airborne, was lifted around 8:20 p.m. and all aircraft landed safely. Officials attribute the outage to aging infrastructure — Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy says an L3Harris contractor's router replacement flooded the system — and FlightAware reports roughly 9,159 Friday cancellations, with more delays expected through the weekend.
US air travel slowly recovers from nationwide flight ground stop as chaos continuestheguardian.com· 8h
The Guardian reports on travel chaos across the US after a four-hour nationwide FAA ground stop delayed or canceled thousands of flights, with more than 8,000 canceled on Friday and disruptions lingering in Boston, Washington DC, New York and Miami. Transportation secretary Sean Duffy blamed an ageing air traffic control system, warned of continued delays, and the UK Civil Aviation Authority advised travelers to check with their airlines.
FAA crisis sparks questions over billions allocated to ICEnewsweek.com· 8h
Newsweek reports that a nationwide air traffic control outage led Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy to ask Congress for $50 billion, prompting Democrats including Senator Brian Schatz to call for redirecting ICE funding, of which about $61 billion remained unobligated. Any such transfer would need congressional authorization, and Democrats may pursue it in January.
Copper wire replacement caused air traffic control issue that grounded flights across U.S.: White House | CBCcbc.ca· 10h
The White House says a contractor replacing copper wire with fibre at a remote Federal Aviation Administration site overloaded the aging control system on Friday, grounding U.S. flights and prompting Sean Duffy to link the outage to an L3Harris contractor while seeking $30 billion US to modernize FAA infrastructure. Airlines are still catching up, with about 4,100 U.S. departures cancelled by midday Saturday, Air Canada scrapping some 250 flights affecting 27,000 passengers, and affected travellers told to contact carriers directly.
Trump 'nowhere to be found' amid 'mass outrage' over rare nationwide groundings: reporterrawstory.com· 10h
A RawStory article reports that President Trump stayed silent during the FAA's November 13, 2026 nationwide ground stop — only the third in US history — posting about Hollywood and the Coast Guard on Truth Social while offering, via a Fox News reporter, that the outage may have stemmed from "old broken stuff." Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy blamed outdated equipment, pressed Congress for $50 billion in emergency funding, and said controllers disputing his explanation spoke with reporters.
Leonardo Sakamoto: Trump prometeu 'América Grande'. Ontem, ela não conseguiu nem sair do chãouol.com.br· 11h
Leonardo Sakamoto's UOL column mocks Trump after a US air-traffic outage on 13 November 2026 grounded all takeoffs for over four hours, stranding thousands and affecting more than 10,000 flights. Sakamoto says the White House preferred to plead incompetence rather than blame a missile or a hacker, contrasts China's infrastructure, and calls it a geopolitical embarrassment.
Travel chaos, flight cancellations continue following nationwide ground stopwashingtonpost.com· 12h
Victoria Craw's Washington Post article reports that travel chaos and thousands more flight cancellations continued into the weekend after Friday's rare nationwide ground stop in the United States. International authorities warn flights to and from the US could be disrupted, and commenters blame the Trump administration for FAA infrastructure failures.
Disruptions Persist as Air Travel Recovers from Nationwide Ground Stop: Live UpdatesThe New York Times's live updates follow the recovery from Friday's Federal Aviation Administration ground stop, which halted flights nationwide after a communications outage and left thousands of passengers stranded, with more than 8,200 flights canceled, delays rippling to London Heathrow, and travelers still scrambling on Saturday. Officials traded blame: Sean Duffy faulted Congress for underfunding air traffic upgrades, Markwayne Mullin cited technology upgrades overwhelming the communication system, and Hakeem Jeffries called it the latest failure of the Trump administration's leadership.
Copper wire upgrade caused nationwide flight chaos, US transport secretary saysbbc.com· 14h
A nationwide US ground stop on 13 November halted take-offs for over four hours and left passengers stuck on tarmacs, causing more than 3,500 cancelled flights as knock-on disruption continued. Transport Secretary Sean Duffy blames a faulty copper wire upgrade by contractor L3Harris, saying the government is investigating whether incompetence or faulty equipment was at fault, and warns Congress must approve upgrades to prevent a repeat.
Well, that was frightening.substack.com· 15h
Robert B. Hubbell's November 14, 2026 newsletter leads with the nationwide air traffic shutdown and the press conference at which Sean Duffy and Markwayne Mullin blamed Congress for underfunding FAA modernization—despite the last FAA funding, the Big Beautiful Bill, having passed without bipartisan support—while never explaining the shutdown's cause. He also reports Mary Peltola leading Dan Sullivan by 10,412 votes in Alaska, Lauren Boebert's defeat in Colorado, Democratic forecasts of a 56-seat Senate and 260-seat House majority, debate over the BAAJA permitting bill, and readers' pro-democracy protests across the country.
What to Know About Friday’s Nationwide Ground StopA New York Times explainer covers Friday's rare nationwide FAA ground stop, which officials say came when outdated air traffic communications equipment overloaded and failed, stranding thousands. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy blames antiquated systems, says travel should recover by Thanksgiving, and asks Congress for $50 billion, while Democrats demand answers and question the administration's leadership.
Bipartisan Outrage After Sean Duffy Presser: ‘Biggest F*ck You to The American People’Mediaite reports that a November 13, 2026 press conference by Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin followed an FAA ground stoppage that stranded 1.5 million people and shut the nation's airspace for over four hours; Duffy blamed malfunctioning routers and demanded $50 billion from Congress for aviation upgrades. Quoted X posts from figures across the spectrum, including Marc Thiessen, Marjorie Taylor Greene, and Fred Wellman, blasted the briefing as blame-shifting and a shakedown, with Wellman calling for Duffy's resignation.
FAA ground stop lifted: Why were US flights grounded, and what’s next?aljazeera.com· 20h
An Al Jazeera explainer reports that the FAA lifted the nationwide ground stop it had imposed on the evening of 13 November 2026 because of a telecommunications outage affecting air route traffic control centres, the third such stop since 11 September 2001, which grounded thousands of flights. Officials including Sean Duffy said disruptions would ease slowly, with FlightRadar24 citing more than 4,700 cancellations, analysts warning recovery could take days, and Duffy urging passengers to check with airlines while calling for $50bn in air traffic control upgrades.
US flight outage live updates: FAA lifts nationwide ground stop as airport chaos continues in US and beyondThe Guardian's live blog tracks a major US aviation systems failure that grounded all flights for over four hours — the second nationwide ground stop since 9/11 — before the FAA lifted it, leaving chaos at airports and delays rippling worldwide. Sean Duffy acknowledged a technology failure, but no clear cause was known; FlightAware counted 8,553 delays and 6,816 cancellations, and the Guardian's Ben Doherty reported flights held on the tarmac as far away as Sydney.
'The line-up is huge': Australians caught up in US flight chaos
abc.net.au· 20h
An ABC news article reports that Australians were caught up in widespread US flight disruptions after a telecommunications outage forced the Federal Aviation Administration to issue its first nationwide ground stop since January 2023, delaying or cancelling more than 11,000 flights. Stranded travellers include Trish Crabb, whose Delta flight out of JFK was cancelled, and Rivkah Brown, stranded in San Diego, who now plans a nearly 10-hour bus ride to Las Vegas. Officials, including Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, say there is no indication of a deliberate attack, and Australian travellers due to fly within 72 hours are urged to contact their airline or travel agent.
Disastrous White House press conference raises more questions than answers about nationwide ground stopyahoo.com· 20h
An Advocate article on yahoo.com reports that Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin gave shifting explanations at a White House briefing after the FAA halted all US departures on a Friday, citing safety, with airspace reopening after 8 p.m. Eastern. The pair blamed a Republican-controlled Congress, praised Donald Trump — Mullin saying "This is what the leadership of President Trump looks like" — while Duffy said routers "got overloaded with data," and Pete Buttigieg questioned in Denver why redundancy failed.
What we know so far about why US flights were grounded
An ABC News article explains the US lifted its nationwide ground stop on departing flights after a communications outage, with the FAA citing safety and Sean Duffy blaming overloaded analogue telecoms. Officials including Markwayne Mullin see no sign of a cyber attack, thousands of flights were delayed or cancelled, and travellers are advised to check with their airlines, with delays expected to linger for at least a day.
What we know about the US ground stop and what to do if your flight is affectedThe BBC explains what happened during the FAA's longest nationwide ground stop since 9/11, which lasted over four hours and left more than 8,500 flights delayed and nearly 8,000 cancelled. Officials blame an overloaded legacy communication system, not a cyber-attack, and the article sets out passengers' refund and care rights in the US and UK.
Amid Flight Stop, Ari Emanuel Slams Pete Buttigieg for Making ‘Zero Progress’ Modernizing FAA: ‘You Left a Failing System in Place’variety.com· 20h
Variety reports that a Federal Aviation Administration ground stop halted U.S. air traffic on 13 November 2026, prompting WME executive chairman Ari Emanuel to say on X that former transportation secretary Pete Buttigieg made "zero progress" modernizing the FAA and left "a failing system in place." Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, who said he did not anticipate the outage and urged Congress for modernization funds, faced pushback from more than 3,000 commenters asking why Emanuel blamed a prior administration; Buttigieg, stranded at Denver airport, said of Duffy's press conference that one "can just write down the comic book asterisk swearing characters."
EEUU reabre el tráfico aéreo después de más de cuatro horas y miles de vuelos suspendidos por un fallo de comunicacioneseldiario.es· 20h
A news article reports that the US lifted a more-than-four-hour halt to air traffic on 13 November 2026, ordered by the Federal Aviation Administration over a communications failure that grounded flights and left more than 10,000 delays and at least 6,600 cancellations, per FlightAware. The Trump administration blames a data overload rather than an attack, while Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy asked Congress for 30.1 billion dollars to modernize air traffic control, saying air traffic will take time to return to normal.
Reporter BREAKS Sean Duffy's Brain With ONE Question On Planes Being Groundedyoutube.com· 20h
The God Show posts commentary on flights grounded across the USA, playing clips of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy saying the air traffic control system needs a complete overhaul estimated at about 50 billion dollars, blaming 25 years of underfunding, and asking Congress for the money. The host mocks Duffy's answers, joking about the ballroom, Doge, and Elon Musk.
DOT demands $50 billion to prevent another huge FAA fiasco
businessinsider.com· 20h
Business Insider reports that the Department of Transportation wants $50 billion to replace aging air-traffic-control technology after a ground stop on 13 November 2026 halted US departures, delaying roughly 10,000 flights and canceling nearly 5,000. Secretaries Sean Duffy and Markwayne Mullin blamed outdated equipment, ruled out a cyberattack pending investigation, and urged Congress to fund a complete system rebuild.
The FAA Nationwide Ground Stop Is Overwired.com· 21h
A WIRED article by Aarian Marshall reports that a communications system failure linked to the FAA Telecommunications Infrastructure network—the legacy backbone managed by L3Harris, being modernized with AT&T—caused a five-hour nationwide ground stop, the worst since September 11, leaving over 6,300 flights canceled. Transportation secretary Sean Duffy blamed old switches and data overload and raised his funding request to $50 billion, while officials said it was unlikely but not certain to be a cyberattack.
Trump Official Torched For Pushing Bizarre Talking Point During National EmergencyHuffPost reports that Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin was excoriated on social media on 13 November 2026 after correcting a reporter asking whether a nationwide ground stop could stem from AI, saying, "We call it SI around here," under President Donald Trump's executive order rebranding artificial intelligence as "Super Intelligence." The outage's cause was unclear, and critics, including MeidasTouch and Gavin Newsom's press office, mocked the administration for pushing the talking point during a national emergency.
Trump administration ups ante on aviation funds after ground stop - Roll Callrollcall.com· 22h
Roll Call reports that after a nationwide ground stop on 13 November 2026, Trump administration officials raised their air traffic modernization funding request from $30.1 billion to $50 billion, with Sean Duffy and Markwayne Mullin blaming an "incredibly old air traffic control system" for radar and communications instability. Congress, already negotiating dueling aviation safety bills, is weighing the ask, with committee leaders promising reviews and hoping for a lame-duck deal.
Airlines scramble to get flights in air after planes grounded across US — as it happened
An ABC News live blog tracks the FAA's nationwide ground stop — only the second since 2001 — which cancelled more than 7,000 flights before being lifted hours later. Officials blamed old air traffic control hardware rather than a cyber attack, while stranded travellers, including Australians, faced long waits and Qantas offered extra flight-change flexibility.
FAA Lifts Nationwide Ground StoppageHuffPost reports that the FAA lifted a nationwide ground stoppage on 13 November 2026 more than four hours after halting all U.S. flights over a communication issue it attributed to overloaded, outdated systems, with FlightAware logging more than 10,000 delayed flights and the cause still unclear. Secretaries Sean Duffy and Markwayne Mullin said at a press conference that a cyberattack did not appear to be involved, while Duffy blamed Congress for unfunded modernization and said the country's 'old, old switches' had failed everywhere.
- FAA lifts nationwide ground stop that blocked takeoffs for hours
The FAA lifted a nationwide ground stop at 8:15 PM ET on November 13, 2026, more than four hours after a communications problem largely halted takeoffs across the US. Officials said patches to aging air traffic control systems caused the outage; FlightAware listed 9,124 flights delayed and 5,901 canceled.
The FAA Is Rolling Out Its AI Air Traffic Tool Nationwidegizmodo.com· 46h
Gizmodo reports that the FAA is expanding SMART, an $875 million AI route-management tool, to manage air traffic nationwide, saying it saves time and fuel and will not affect air safety. House Democrats have asked the GAO to review the rollout, warning that frontline controllers had little input and that the AI's reliability and safety benefits raise serious questions.
FAA expands AI advice to manage air traffic congestion across entire US airspaceArs Technica reports that the FAA has expanded its AI-based SMART advisory tool, which suggests flight routes and arrival sequencing, from the Washington, DC area to air traffic centers nationwide. The FAA credits it with rerouting 180 flights and saving about 10 minutes and 80 gallons of fuel per flight, though the controllers' union says it was not consulted on the system, and a human FAA team validates its recommendations.
Duffy Says Flights Are ‘Slowly Returning To Normal’ After Nationwide Ground StopHuffPost, via the Associated Press, live-tracks a nationwide FAA ground stop caused by overloaded routers in an aging air traffic control system, which delayed nearly 10,000 flights and canceled thousands before being lifted Friday night, as Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy says flights are slowly returning to normal and warns more delays are coming while urging Congress to fund upgrades. The updates also note a separate Workday outage affecting HR systems, sports teams scrambling to reach weekend games, and SpaceX's Starship booster ending up in the Gulf of Mexico after a failed catch attempt.
Bessent Says Treasury Pushed For Megaspeed Restrictions, But 'Commerce Has The Pen’HuffPost's live-updates article covers the FAA's nationwide ground stop on 13 November 2026, which delayed nearly 10,000 flights and was lifted after roughly four hours. Scott Bessent says Treasury pushed for months to restrict Megaspeed over Nvidia's alleged spy scandal but Commerce "has the pen," while officials including Sean Duffy and Markwayne Mullin blame an overloaded legacy communications system, not a cyberattack.
Duffy: Air Traffic System Gave Inconsistent Data Prompting ShutdownA HuffPost live-updates page tracks the FAA's nationwide ground stop on Friday, 13 November 2026, which Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy blamed on an overloaded legacy communications system giving inconsistent data; it delayed nearly 10,000 flights and cancelled 5,000 before the stop was lifted after roughly four hours. Officials said there was no cyberattack and no danger to the public, while Pete Buttigieg called for transparency, sports teams scrambled to reach games, and the page also covers SpaceX's failed Starship catch and a tanker striking a paddleboat on the Mississippi in New Orleans.
Duffy Points Finger At Contractor After Nationwide Ground StopHuffPost's live-updates article tracks the FAA's nationwide ground stop, which halted flights for roughly four hours Friday, leaving thousands canceled or delayed, with Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy pointing to possible error by contractor L3Harris, saying officials do not believe it was a cyberattack, and urging Congress to fund air traffic control upgrades. The blog also covers a Workday software outage and President Donald Trump's attacks on Governor Gavin Newsom's decision to commute the sentences of more than 500 California death row inmates.
Sec. Mullin Scolds Reporter For Asking If 'AI,' Not 'SI,' Responsible For Ground StopHuffPost's live-updates article reports the Federal Aviation Administration's nationwide ground stop on Friday, citing "extraordinary circumstances" from communications issues at regional air traffic control centers, delayed nearly 10,000 flights and cancelled 5,000 before being lifted shortly after 8 p.m. EST. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin scolded a reporter for asking whether "AI" caused it rather than President Trump's preferred "SI," while officials including Mullin and Sean Duffy said the stoppage was not a cyberattack or AI and was instead an overloaded legacy communications system.
Trump Tells Fox News FAA Ground Stop Doesn’t ‘Seem Like’ A Cyberattack Or AIA nationwide FAA ground stop on Friday, blamed by Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy on an overloaded legacy communications system issuing faulty data, delayed nearly 10,000 flights and disrupted NBA, NHL and college teams before being lifted after about four hours. President Trump told Fox News the stoppage doesn't seem like a cyberattack or AI, calling it a case of old, broken infrastructure.
Nationwide Ground Stop Is Lifted, FAA ConfirmsHuffPost's live coverage reports the FAA lifted its nationwide ground stop shortly after 8 p.m. EST, roughly four hours after it delayed nearly 10,000 flights and forced about 5,000 cancellations, with officials blaming a communication issue rather than a cyberattack or AI. The rolling updates also note Trump posted about an entertainment bill during the stoppage, SpaceX's Starship booster ending up in the Gulf of Mexico, a tanker striking a New Orleans paddleboat with 129 aboard, a harassment investigation of Rep-elect Brian Poindexter, an asylum case headed to the Supreme Court in early 2027, and Eileen Laubacher's projected upset of Rep. Lauren Boebert.
Ground Stop Disrupting NBA, NHL And College Football Travel For The WeekendHuffPost's live updates cover a nationwide FAA ground stop on 13 November 2026, issued over what officials called extraordinary circumstances at regional air traffic control centers, that delayed nearly 10,000 flights, cancelled 5,000, and left NBA, NHL, and college teams chartering buses and rescheduling before it was lifted around 8 p.m. EST. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy blames a legacy communications system and Congress's failure to fund upgrades; Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin says it was no cyberattack, while Pete Buttigieg calls for answers and transparency — and Trump, queried on Fox, instead posted on Truth Social about a bipartisan entertainment-industry revitalization act.
Ring Camera Footage Shows Fatal Brooklyn Building CollapseHuffPost's live-updates article shows Ring camera footage of a Brooklyn building collapse on 11 November 2026 that killed at least eight people, including two children, a clip obtained by CNN, NBC News, and The New York Times. It mostly tracks the FAA's nationwide ground stop on 13 November, which officials attributed to overloaded air traffic communications equipment, delayed nearly 10,000 flights and stranded sports teams, and ended around 8 p.m., while President Trump, who had not addressed it for hours, posted instead about an entertainment industry bill and told Fox News it was no cyberattack; SpaceX's Starship booster, meanwhile, ended up in the Gulf of Mexico.
Mossad Chief In U.S. For Talks With Trump Admin As Netanyahu Pushes For Return To Fighting: AxiosHuffPost's live-updates post covers the FAA's nationwide ground stop of 13 November 2026, which Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy blames on an overloaded legacy communications system and which delayed nearly 10,000 flights and canceled 5,000 before being lifted around 8 p.m.; officials including Markwayne Mullin said the public was never in danger, while Pete Buttigieg questioned why the system's redundancies failed. Axios reports Mossad director Roman Gofman is in the U.S. to meet CIA Director John Ratcliffe and likely U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff as Netanyahu reportedly pushes the Trump administration to return to combat against Iran, and Trump, instead of addressing the stoppage, posted about a bipartisan entertainment industry bill.
Newly Elected Democrat Faces Sexual Harassment InvestigationA HuffPost live-updates page reports that Rep-elect Brian Poindexter, an Ohio Democrat who defeated Rep. Max Miller, is under investigation for sexual harassment by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, which opened the probe after a campaign volunteer complained, prompting two PACs to pull their endorsements. It also covers a November 13, 2026 nationwide FAA ground stop caused by air traffic control communications problems that delayed or canceled roughly 10,000 flights, leaving officials from Sean Duffy to Markwayne Mullin explaining the outage.
Flights Halted Across U.S. As FAA Cites 'Extraordinary Circumstances'A HuffPost live-updates article tracks a nationwide FAA ground stop on Friday, 13 November 2026, citing "extraordinary circumstances" and an overloaded legacy communications system, which delayed nearly 10,000 flights and cancelled 5,000 before being lifted after roughly four hours, leaving sports teams scrambling and airports near ground saturation. Officials including Sean Duffy, Markwayne Mullin, and Pete Buttigieg weighed in on the cause and fixes; Trump's only comment called it "a bunch of old, broken stuff" while posting separately about an entertainment bill. The article also notes SpaceX's botched Starship catch and a tanker strike on a paddleboat in New Orleans.
The Content Creator Behind Scott Colom's Viral Ad Tells Politico How It Came TogetherHuffPost's live-updates article tracks the FAA's nationwide ground stop on November 13, 2026, citing "extraordinary circumstances" from communications issues at regional air traffic control centers; it was lifted after roughly four hours, having delayed nearly 10,000 flights and cancelled 5,000. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy largely blames Congress for underfunding, Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin rules out a cyberattack and scolds a reporter for saying "AI" instead of Trump's "SI," Pete Buttigieg calls for transparency, and Trump had not addressed the stoppage as of 6 p.m., instead posting about a bipartisan entertainment bill; the article also covers SpaceX's Starship launch and an interview with the creator of Scott Colom's viral "Pick Another Protein" ad.
Trump Wants Executions Of California Death Row Inmates To ContinueHuffPost reports that President Donald Trump, in a Truth Social post, called Governor Gavin Newsom's halting of the death penalty for all 563 California death row inmates "a disaster for Justice in America" and says he wants the inmates' executions to continue, a post HuffPost describes as bloodlust. The live-updates article also covers the FAA's nationwide ground stop that delayed nearly 10,000 flights on 13 November 2026 and an ongoing Workday outage.
Airports May Be Running Out Of Room To Put Planes During Ground StopHuffPost's live-updates article reports that the FAA's nationwide ground stop on Friday, lifted after roughly four hours, delayed nearly 10,000 flights and cancelled 5,000 as airports ran short of gate, tarmac, and taxiway space and NBA, NHL, and college teams scrambled to reach games. Officials blamed a communications-system overload, with Sean Duffy faulting Congress for underfunding equipment and Trump citing old, broken gear — though he posted on Truth Social about a bipartisan entertainment-industry bill, which HuffPost calls absurd next to his silence on the stop; Buttigieg, who led the department under Biden, says the system's redundancies should have caught the failure and urges answers over politics.
Thousands Of Flights Canceled, Travelers Stranded After FAA Ground Stop FridayHuffPost's live-updates article tracks the FAA's nationwide ground stop on Friday, caused by a failed legacy communications system that overloaded and issued faulty data, delaying nearly 10,000 flights and canceling about 5,000 before the stop was lifted after roughly four hours. Officials said the public was never in danger and ruled out a cyberattack, while President Trump had not addressed the outage but instead posted about a bipartisan entertainment-industry bill — an attempt to rename artificial intelligence that HuffPost calls absurd.
Aviation regulators turn to AI to help manage the nation's airspacenpr.org· 7w
NPR reports that the FAA launched its $875 million AI-powered SMART software to manage the nation's airspace — part of a $12.5 billion modernization push — but the rollout was upstaged by a fiber optic line outage that paused flights in the Northeast. Officials, airlines, and skeptics differ on whether the tool will fix bigger problems like the controller staffing shortage.
Trump’s FAA picked an unlikely contractor to lead its air traffic overhaul. The agency is having second thoughts.Politico reports that FAA officials are raising concerns about Peraton, the Virginia contractor with little FAA experience that won a $1.5 billion contract in December 2025 to lead its air traffic control overhaul — frustrations that could scale back the company's role — though the agency says it is making unprecedented progress and has not penalized the firm. The overhaul, spurred by the deadly January 2025 midair crash near Washington that killed 67, received $12.5 billion in 2025 funding, with Sean Duffy seeking up to $20 billion more ahead of the administration's 2028 goal.
Musk has inside track to take over contract to fix air traffic communications system
apnews.com· 1y
AP News reports that Starlink equipment from Elon Musk's SpaceX is being installed at Federal Aviation Administration facilities, which sources say is a prelude to taking over a $2 billion Verizon contract to modernize the air traffic communications system, on which nearly $200 million in work has already been done. Musk says the Verizon system is putting air travelers at serious risk, while former FAA officials are alarmed at Starlink's use without adequate testing, and the article argues the episode underscores the conflicts of interest in Musk's dual role as a White House adviser and business mogul.
