Nationwide FAA Ground Stop: What It Means for Air Cargo and Supply Chains

by Lauren Palmer
November 13, 2026

The FAA halted all U.S. departures, freighters included, after an air traffic control communications failure. Here's what it means for air cargo.

Developing story. Current as of 1:36 p.m. PT, Friday, Nov. 13, 2026.

On Friday afternoon, the Federal Aviation Administration ordered a nationwide ground stop on all departing flights, citing "extraordinary circumstances" and safety. Reuters reported that the order followed serious problems with air traffic control communications, which had already led the FAA to stop traffic in Chicago. Aircraft in the air may land, but nothing on the ground may take off. The FAA is handling inbound international flights case by case.

In a social media post, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said FAA technicians are investigating. The agency has not named a cause. According to Reuters, this is only the second time since the September 11, 2001, attacks that the FAA has stopped all departures nationwide.

Why air cargo is directly exposed

Freighters are grounded too. The order covers all departing flights, not only passenger airlines.

The timing puts overnight networks at risk. The FAA's advisory lists an estimated end time of 10 p.m. Central, but the agency hasn't confirmed when departures will resume. That is about when express carriers begin their overnight hub sorts. Even a short stop at a single hub can affect an entire network. In October 2023, FAA facilities in the Memphis area briefly stopped departures during a scheduled software update. FedEx then warned of nationwide delays to its U.S. Express deliveries and said affected shipments would not qualify for refunds or credits. Today's stop covers the whole country.

International capacity takes a double hit. Much international air freight travels in the holds of widebody passenger jets, so each canceled passenger flight also removes cargo space. Inbound freighters are subject to the same case-by-case handling.

A recurring vulnerability

Today's stop is the latest in a series of air traffic control communications failures. The Philadelphia facility that handles Newark traffic had repeated telecom and equipment outages in 2025. On September 21 this year, the FAA issued ground stops at five Northeast airports after the same facility lost its primary communications circuit.

Reuters reports that Congress approved $12.5 billion last year to replace the FAA's aging communications system. On Friday, the FAA and the White House asked Congress for another $30.1 billion to address other problems. Until those upgrades are in place, supply chain teams should expect more disruptions like this one.

What sourcing leaders should do now

  • Identify urgent air shipments that are in transit or booked through early next week.
  • Get status from carriers and forwarders and get revised arrival times.
  • Monitor impact status this weekend.

Longer term:

  • Add air traffic control outages to your risk register as a recurring risk, not an unforeseeable one.

For your information