FAA's SMART AI tool now covers US airspace; officials deny link to nationwide ground stop
Summary
- The FAA deployed its $875 million SMART AI advisory tool on September 21, 2026 in Washington, D.C.-area airspace and expanded it to all 22 air route traffic control centers nationwide in November.
- The FAA credits SMART with rerouting 180 flights and saving about 10 minutes and 80 gallons of fuel per flight; a human FAA team validates its recommendations and controllers can reject them.
- On November 13, 2026, the FAA ordered a roughly four-hour nationwide ground stop, which Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy blamed on inconsistent data from the FAA's aging switches and routers.
- Duffy said the SMART tool 'isn't plugged in' and had no role in the stop; Air Space Intelligence, which built SMART, also denied any link.
- Duffy asked Congress for $50 billion to rebuild the air traffic control system, after requesting $30 billion in September.
- House Democrats have asked the Government Accountability Office to review the rollout, and an earlier bipartisan letter urged a pause until the FAA answered safety and transparency questions.
Reactions
- The National Air Traffic Controllers Association said it was not consulted or involved in the design, testing, or implementation of SMART and could not speak to its effect on the workforce.
- Air Space Intelligence said in a post on X that the ground stop was not based on or a result of SMART or its integration with the FAA.
- Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the system 'isn't plugged in' and no failure of SMART could have caused the stop, and Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin echoed his call for an overhaul.
- Two dozen House members and Senator Chris Van Hollen asked the Transportation Department and FAA to pause SMART, citing no published safety evaluation and days' or no notice to controllers; the FAA was given until October 19, 2026 to answer.
- House Democrats wrote to the Government Accountability Office that the frontline aviation safety workforce 'apparently had little to no input into SMART's development' and questioned its reliability and safety benefits.
- Airlines for America praised the modernization push, and Delta CEO Ed Bastian and American CEO Robert Isom gave supportive statements at the initial launch.
Timeline newest first
Air Space Intelligence said in a 5:34 p.m. post on X on November 13, 2026 that the nationwide ground stop was not based on or a result of the SMART system or its FAA integration.
The FAA said in a November 10 statement that after its September rollout in the National Capital Region it would use SMART in the airspace of all 22 air route traffic control centers nationwide, citing rerouted flights and savings of 10 minutes and nearly 80 gallons of fuel per flight.
House Democrats sent a letter asking the Government Accountability Office to review the FAA's SMART implementation strategy, performance metrics, and safety risk management.
Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, April McClain Delaney, Don Beyer, Kweisi Mfume, Suhas Subramanyam, and Sarah Elfreth led a letter urging the FAA to pause SMART until it answers questions on safety testing, implementation, and oversight.
The FAA launched its $875 million SMART tool on September 21, 2026 at Ronald Reagan Washington National, Dulles, and Baltimore/Washington International airports, with the rollout upstaged by a cut fiber optic line that forced a pause on Northeast flights.
Sources newest first
- AI company behind FAA’s SMART tool denies link to ground stop, Duffy confirms
A Hill article reports that Air Space Intelligence, maker of the FAA's new $875 million SMART tool, denied its system caused the roughly four-hour nationwide ground stop on November 13, 2026. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy confirmed at a White House briefing that the tool "isn't plugged in," blaming an overload of inconsistent data on the FAA's switches and routers, and asked Congress for $50 billion to rebuild the aging air traffic system.
FAA expands AI advice to manage air traffic congestion across entire US airspaceArs Technica reports that the FAA has expanded its $875 million SMART system, an AI tool advising air traffic controllers on routing and scheduling, from the Washington, DC, area to all 22 air route traffic control centers nationwide. The FAA credits it with saving time and fuel, while the controllers' union says it was not consulted on its design or rollout.
The FAA Is Rolling Out Its AI Air Traffic Tool NationwideGizmodo 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 airspace
Ars 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.
Ocasio-Cortez, McClain Delaney, Beyer, Mfume, Subramanyam, and Elfreth Lead Calls to Pause FAA’s AI Tool at Washington-Area AirportsSix House members led by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez sent a letter urging the FAA to pause its new AI air traffic management tool, deployed 21 September 2026 at Reagan National, Dulles, and BWI, until it answers questions about safety testing, training, and accountability. Ocasio-Cortez says it launched without a published safety evaluation, and lawmakers warn there has been insufficient transparency about how the system works.
faa-smart-letter-final.pdf
A letter from two dozen House members and Senator Chris Van Hollen urges the Department of Transportation and FAA to pause use of the AI-enabled SMART air traffic tool launched over the National Capital Region on September 21, 2026, citing little transparency, no visible safety evaluations, and short or no notice to frontline controllers. The letter cites the January 2025 midair collision that killed 67 people, asks whether the tool was properly tested as high-impact AI under OMB rules, and demands answers by October 19, 2026.
Aviation regulators turn to AI to help manage the nation's airspaceNPR 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.
Background newest first
US blames system upgrade for longest nationwide FAA ground stop since 9/11aljazeera.com· 4h
An Al Jazeera article reports that a routine upgrade of a router to fibre at a remote air traffic control site triggered the longest nationwide FAA ground stop since 9/11, halting all US flights on 13 November 2026. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy blamed possible contractor error by L3Harris and ruled out a cyberattack, while FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said the worst is behind the recovery.
'Wasn't supposed to tell the truth': Duffy's nudge at Mullin sparks cover-up questionsrawstory.com· 4h
Raw Story reports that Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy's apparent nudge to stop Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin from talking at a White House press conference fueled cover-up questions after a nationwide ground stop of flights. Mullin blamed new equipment and security patches overwhelming the older system, while Duffy faulted a contractor's botched router update and denied any cyberattack, and federal records show Air Space Intelligence, whose AI system Mullin's remarks tied to the outage, donated $12,500 to Duffy's son-in-law's campaign.
Transportation secretary blames ‘routine’ equipment upgrade for grounding flights nationwide | TechCrunchtechcrunch.com· 4h
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· 4h
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.
FAA blames Friday's ground stop on 'equipment issue' during telecoms network upgradeNPR reports that the FAA blames Friday's nationwide ground stop — which grounded thousands of flights for about four hours, delayed nearly 25,000 and cancelled over 9,000, leaving tens of thousands of passengers stranded Saturday — on an error while contractor L3Harris upgraded an old FAA telecom line from copper to fiber. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy says the FAA is investigating whether the error was L3Harris's or a faulty 2001-era router, while FAA administrator Bryan Bedford says there was no evidence of anything nefarious or AI-related and expects full schedule integrity by Sunday.
FAA ground stop latest updates: Duffy blames contractor L3Harris; thousands more flights canceled Saturday; no sign of cyberattack
yahoo.com· 5h
Yahoo News's live-updates coverage of the nationwide FAA ground stop says airlines canceled thousands of flights Saturday, Nov. 14, as they recovered from Friday's more-than-four-hour halt — the longest since 9/11 — with Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy blaming a router that flooded the system during contractor L3Harris's copper-to-fiber work and officials seeing no sign of a cyberattack. The article also covers Duffy's calls for tens of billions in air traffic control funding, Gov. Kathy Hochul's demand he resign, Sen. Tammy Duckworth's push for an investigation, airlines' travel waivers, and refunds for stranded travelers.
Mike Johnson Tells Fox We ‘Don’t Really Need an Investigation’ to Know What’s Behind Flight Stoppage Drama Ahead of Congress Flippingmediaite.com· 6h
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.
Send In The Clownssubstack.com· 6h
In his Substack post, Charlie Sykes calls the FAA's massive ground stop an utter FUBAR, quoting Ron Filipkowski, Marc Thiessen, and Marjorie Taylor Greene criticizing Sean Duffy's press conference, and saying experts are not buying the early spin; commenter KO in LA details the FAA's rushed rollout of its new SMART software. The post also promotes his podcast with John Avlon and notes Lauren Boebert's re-election loss.
MAGA'S flying circus: $50 billion, zero answers
Steve Schmidt's Substack post attacks the Trump administration's response to a nationwide FAA ground stop that disrupted thousands of flights, mocking Sean Duffy's and Markwayne Mullin's press conference as political theater while questioning Duffy's $50 billion ask and the FAA's contract and possible ownership stake in Air Space Intelligence. He also targets Robert F. Kennedy Jr. over the loss of measles elimination status, calls Hegseth's Tomb of the Unknown Soldier visit disgraceful, backs Van Hollen's challenge to Schumer, and forecasts two frightening years ahead.
'Rolling waves of chaos' predicted as analyst drops chilling flight grounding warningA Raw Story article reports The Atlantic's Josh Tyrangiel warning that Friday's nationwide FAA flight grounding may be a preview, with his sources expecting "rolling waves of chaos" as fast-improving AI and rickety software put state-grade capability in the hands of people with nothing to lose. The ground stop followed a Microsoft Outlook outage, and Sean Duffy blamed a communications issue, which Air Space Intelligence denies was its SMART system's fault.
Greene calls Duffy, Mullin press briefing ‘a shakedown for more money’The Hill reports that former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene called Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy's and Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin's press briefing a shakedown for more taxpayer money after the FAA's nationwide ground stop, which the FAA blamed on a telecommunications outage. Duffy cited an overloaded system while requesting $50 billion for air traffic control modernization, and Greene claimed without evidence the outage was a cyberattack.
No Pilots. Few Air Traffic Controllers. What Could Go Wrong?wired.com· 11h
Wired examines AI's rapid arrival in aviation, from a pilotless Cessna Caravan's 3,200-mile journey and the FAA's SMART air traffic system to drone delivery and eVTOLs, weighing promises of efficiency against warnings that AI could hallucinate safety-critical information. The article notes the FAA cut its controller staffing target and reports skeptics, including a retired FAA employee who calls the rollout "a Pandora's box that we are going to regret," question whether the technology is being pushed too fast.
Copper wire upgrade caused nationwide flight chaos, US transport secretary saysbbc.com· 13h
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.
Disastrous White House press conference raises more questions than answers about nationwide ground stopAn 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
abc.net.au· 19h
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.
Reporter BREAKS Sean Duffy's Brain With ONE Question On Planes Being Groundedyoutube.com· 19h
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.
BREAKING: Every Plane In America Grounded, 5,000 Flights Dead, And The Clowns In Charge Have No Idea WhyDean Blundell's Substack post reports the November 13, 2026 nationwide ground stop that cancelled nearly 5,000 US flights, with no official cause on record. He argues suspicion falls on the FAA's new SMART AI system, rolled out days earlier under Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, and notes Canada took in diverted flights.
Trump administration ups ante on aviation funds after ground stop - Roll Callrollcall.com· 21h
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.
U.S. grounds flights days after Trump administration expands new AI air traffic systemscientificamerican.com· 22h
A Scientific American article reports that U.S. domestic and international flights grounded to a halt around 4 P.M. EST on November 13, 2026, three days after the FAA expanded its AI-driven SMART air traffic system to all 22 air traffic regions. The FAA attributes the stop to a "temporary telecommunications outage," citing "extraordinary circumstances and for reasons of safety."
What to know about the rare nationwide ground stop issued by the FAAtheguardian.com· 22h
A Guardian explainer on the FAA's rare nationwide ground stop, the second since 9/11, which delayed or canceled thousands of flights and was lifted at 8.15pm ET; the FAA blamed a temporary telecommunications outage. Officials disputed causes, while Sean Duffy and Markwayne Mullin sought tens of billions in funding and praised Trump.
FAA ground stop live updates: Hundreds of flights canceled, no indication of 'nefarious' actabcnews.com· 23h
ABC News' live-updates article covers the FAA's rare nationwide ground stop on November 13, 2026, ordered over an air traffic control communication issue that canceled more than 1,000 flights. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin attributed it to a telecommunications outage with no sign of a "nefarious attack," while Delta and United issued travel waivers and delays were expected to grow overnight.
Grounded flights and crashing ships: The Trumpocalypse is heredailykos.com· 23h
Lisa Needham's Daily Kos article argues that Trump's two-year war on the administrative state is coming home to roost, pointing to a nationwide FAA ground stop over an unexplained communications failure, a tanker ship's collision with a docked New Orleans paddleboat that sent dozens to hospitals, and a National Weather Service radar outage all on November 13, 2026. She floats the possibility the FAA outsourced air traffic work to a shoddy AI tool and expects the administration to blame Joe Biden rather than Sean Duffy.
FAA orders third nationwide ground stop in its historyArs Technica reports that the FAA, days after expanding its use of an AI tool, issued only the third nationwide ground stop in its history, halting departures from all US airports over a communication issue affecting all Air Route Traffic Control Centers. Officials said the stop stemmed from a telecommunications outage, not a security threat, with airlines expecting disruptions for the rest of the day.
Nationwide flight grounding halts departures at MSP airportstartribune.com· 23h
Paul Walsh and Bill Lukitsch report that the FAA grounded all departing flights nationwide on the afternoon of 13 November 2026 because of communications problems at regional air traffic control centers, the first such ground stop since January 2023, with no restart timeline. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said technicians are investigating; Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin saw no sign of an attack, and analyst Henry Harteveldt warned the stop would cause "absolute chaos" for travelers, including stranded passengers and disrupted Gophers and Bulls trips.
Startup eyed over flight chaos funnels cash to Transportation chief's son-in-lawRawStory reports that Air Space Intelligence, the startup whose AI-powered air traffic system was adopted by the FAA under a contract worth up to $875.9 million that Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced, donated $12,500 to the congressional campaign of Duffy's son-in-law, Rep.-elect Michael Alfonso. Among other things, the article quotes Juliette Kayyem saying it is hard to believe the nationwide ground stop of 13 November 2026 is a coincidence, the company denying its system caused the stop, and 23 House representatives questioning SMART's reliability and safety.
Live updates: FAA grounds flights nationwide because of communication issuenbcnews.com· 24h
A live-updates report on the FAA's nationwide halt of departing flights on 13 November 2026 over a communications outage affecting air route traffic control centers, with officials saying there are no initial signs of a cyberattack and no timeline for restarting flights. A few Pacific-bound flights were cleared from San Francisco, SpaceX launched a Starship rocket during the stop, sports teams and passengers were left stranded, and the outage came soon after the FAA rolled out its AI-assisted SMART air traffic system, which officials and its vendor say was not the cause.
USA: Alle Flughäfen stundenlang gesperrtheise.de· 24h
All air traffic in the United States was halted for over four hours after technical problems at several Air Route Traffic Control Centers disrupted radio communication and radar, cancelling thousands of flights, with European controllers banning takeoffs to the USA and Canada also curbing flights. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy blamed inconsistent data from time-division multiplexing routers, saying an update he ordered may have overloaded them, demanded a 50 billion dollar budget for new infrastructure, and said more outages will come; the report also notes the recent rollout of the SMART AI system, Duffy's denial it was connected, and FAA layoffs under Elon Musk's leadership.
FAA Lifts Nationwide Ground Stoppagehuffpost.com· 24h
HuffPost 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 expanded AI air traffic tool to all centers days before nationwide ground stopwashingtontimes.com· 24h
A Washington Times article reports the FAA expanded its AI-backed SMART air traffic management tool to all 22 control centers three days before ordering a nationwide ground stop of departing flights on November 13, 2026. Neither the FAA nor the tool's maker, Air Space Intelligence, has linked the system to the stop, which Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy blamed on a communications issue.
FAA Orders Nationwide Ground Stop for Departing FlightsGizmodo reports that the FAA issued a nationwide ground stop for all departing U.S. flights on 13 November 2026 "due to extraordinary circumstances and for reasons of safety," with Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy citing a communication issue affecting all Air Route Traffic Control Centers. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin says there is no indication of a nefarious attack and that "it isn't a safety to the American people or another 9/11," while FlightAware showed at least 2,400 delays and 38 cancellations.
Live Updates: FAA Declares Rare Nationwide Ground Stop of Flightsnytimes.com· 25h
The New York Times's live updates track a rare nationwide F.A.A. ground stop declared Friday afternoon, which reporter Karoun Demirjian says appeared to be a major outage of the air traffic control system, with more than 7,800 flights delayed and about 350 canceled by late afternoon per FlightAware. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin blames a telecommunication outage, says it is not a terrorist attack and that officials do not yet know the cause, while the disruption lands about two weeks before Thanksgiving and days after the F.A.A. began rolling out a new A.I. tool that it is unclear whether the outage involves.
- Live Updates: FAA Declares Rare Nationwide Ground Stop of Flights
The New York Times is covering the Federal Aviation Administration's rare nationwide ground stop, only the third in decades, issued Friday in what appeared to be a major air traffic control outage that left thousands of flights delayed and passengers stranded at airports like O'Hare and Asheville days before Thanksgiving. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin called it a telecommunication outage and said there was no indication of foul play, while it remained unclear whether the A.I. tool the F.A.A. had just begun rolling out nationwide was part of the problem.
US aviation administration resumes flights after grounding
Flights in the United States have resumed after the Federal Aviation Administration issued a nationwide ground stop, only the second since the September 11, 2001 attacks. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy blamed a communications issue affecting 22 air traffic control centres, and FlightAware reported about 10,500 delayed and more than 1,800 cancelled flights, while Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said there was no indication of a nefarious act but investigators would examine any link to a new AI system.
FAA General Statementsfaa.gov· 4d
The FAA's general-statements page rounds up agency announcements: its new SMART airspace-management system, licenses and closed mishap investigations for SpaceX's Starship Flight 12 and Starlink 17-32 and Blue Origin's New Glenn-3, a Dream Chaser landing license for Sierra Space, a rule proposed August 4, 2026 to modernize emergency medical kits, and a safety order consolidating its safety management systems. It also covers the Triumphal Arch hazard determination, the Palm Beach airport renaming, San Francisco runway work, air traffic control modernization, 5G safeguards, and winter storm planning.
Trump Said He Was Surprised By Midterm Results Despite 'My Level Of Popularity'HuffPost's live-updates article covers a nationwide FAA ground stop that delayed nearly 10,000 flights and grounded sports teams, with officials citing a communications system failure while Buttigieg pressed for answers and Duffy blamed Congress. It also reports Trump telling Hugh Hewitt he was surprised Republicans didn't do better in the midterms despite his popularity.
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.
Howard Lutnick Agrees To Testify In Front Of Congress Amid Nvidia ScrutinyHuffPost reports that Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick has agreed to testify before the Senate Banking Committee amid bipartisan scrutiny of the department's handling of foreign chip sales, as its live updates also track the FAA's nationwide ground stop of 13 November 2026, which delayed nearly 10,000 flights and left sports teams scrambling, with officials citing communications failures and Pete Buttigieg calling for answers.
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.
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.
Is Microsoft Outlook Still Down?HuffPost's live blog tracks the Federal Aviation Administration's nationwide ground stop of 13 November 2026, which officials blamed on overloaded legacy communications systems and which delayed nearly 10,000 flights, cancelled 5,000, and was lifted roughly four hours after it was issued. Sean Duffy largely blames Congress for outdated equipment, Pete Buttigieg calls for answers and transparency, Markwayne Mullin says the public was never in danger, and the blog also follows SpaceX's failed Starship double catch and Trump's preferred term "SI".
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.
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.
ASI raises $325M at a $3bn valuation for AI that runs air trafficthenextweb.com· 25d
ASI, the Boston AI startup formerly known as Air Space Intelligence, raised $325 million in a Spark Capital–led Series C valuing it at $3 billion, on the strength of software that models air traffic, power grids and military operations so operators can act before problems spread. It holds an $875 million, 12-year Federal Aviation Administration contract to manage US air traffic, began use around Washington in September, and also counts the US Army, Delta, Alaska, United, National Grid and Joby among its customers, with the FAA planning to expand the system nationwide.
Trump’s FAA picked an unlikely contractor to lead its air traffic overhaul. The agency is having second thoughts.politico.com· 12w
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.
FAA picks ASI for $875M airspace systemaerotime.aero· 20w
The FAA has awarded Air Space Intelligence a 12-year, $875 million contract to build SMART, an AI-enabled airspace-management system meant to predict congestion and cut delays across US airspace, beating larger rivals Palantir and Thales. AeroTime says the startup's Flyways AI platform, used by Alaska Airlines since 2021, now moves it into a central role in the national airspace system, potentially reshaping how the FAA manages delay-prone hubs like New York and Chicago.
