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By Megan Cartwright
Associate News Editor
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More than 1,400 flights within, into or out of the United States had been canceled on Sunday as airlines continued recovering from Friday’s nationwide Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ground stop, according to FlightAware.
U.S. airlines were still dealing with cancellations Sunday after a telecommunications failure prompted the FAA to halt departures nationwide for more than four hours on Friday.
Although U.S. airspace has reopened, disrupted aircraft and crew schedules have carried problems over into the weekend, leaving passengers facing cancellations and delays.
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American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and JetBlue are among carriers offering customers additional flexibility to change affected trips.
Why It Matters
Friday’s shutdown affected the entire U.S. aviation system, rather than an individual airport or region. The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) said in a press conference that telecommunications problems affecting the stability of communications and radar led the FAA to impose the stop as a safety precaution.
Officials said the problem emerged while contractor L3Harris was carrying out routine work to replace old copper telecommunications lines with fiber, highlighting wider concerns about aging air traffic control infrastructure.
When reached for comment via email on Sunday, FAA Public Affairs Specialist Steve Kulm directed Newsweek to a link to Saturday's DOT press conference. Newsweek also contacted the U.S. Department of Transportation via email for comment on Sunday but did not hear back at the time of publication.
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What To Know
More Than 1,400 U.S. Flights Canceled Sunday
The disruption has continued well beyond the lifting of the ground stop.
At the time of writing Sunday, FlightAware showed 1,775 cancellations worldwide, including 1,458 flights within, into or out of the U.S. Another 2,411 U.S.-related flights had been delayed.
Disruption remained particularly pronounced at several major hubs. Between 12 p.m. and 4 p.m., FlightAware’s MiseryMap showed 77 delays at Atlanta (ATL), the highest among the airports displayed, followed by 54 at Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) and 43 at Chicago O’Hare (ORD). Charlotte (CLT) recorded 31 delays, while Detroit (DTW) had 30.
Cancellations were also substantial. New York JFK recorded 33, followed by 32 at Dallas/Fort Worth, 28 at Atlanta, 27 at both Charlotte and Boston Logan, and 23 at Chicago O’Hare.
Overall, the MiseryMap recorded 577 delays and 377 cancellations during the four-hour window, indicating that disruption was still affecting major parts of the U.S. aviation network more than a day after the ground stop ended.
What American Airlines Is Telling Passengers
American Airlines has issued a travel alert covering 21 airports, including Atlanta, Boston, Chicago O’Hare, Dallas/Fort Worth, Los Angeles, Miami, New York JFK and LaGuardia, Newark, Philadelphia, Phoenix and Washington Reagan.
Passengers traveling between November 13 and 18 may qualify to change their trip without a fee if they bought their ticket by November 12 and meet the airline’s other conditions. The new journey can take place through November 21, provided the origin and destination remain unchanged. Travelers can also cancel and request a refund under the waiver.
Changes must be booked by November 18. Eligible passengers can make a one-time change through American’s website, while the carrier says it will contact customers by email or app notification when flights are affected.
Delta Encourages Some Travelers to Wait Until Monday
Delta Air Lines is offering no-cost rebooking for customers whose travel was planned between November 13 and 15.
The airline has gone a step further for people whose schedules are flexible, encouraging them to move their flights to Monday, November 16, or later. Those still traveling Sunday are being advised to allow extra time and check the Delta app or website before setting out.
If Delta cancels a flight, the carrier says affected customers will automatically be rebooked onto what it considers the next best itinerary.
JetBlue Waives Fees and Fare Differences
JetBlue said its flights have resumed but warned passengers to keep checking their status before heading to the airport.
Its nationwide ground stop waiver covers JetBlue-operated flights scheduled from November 13 through November 15. For eligible customers, the airline is waiving change and cancellation fees as well as fare differences, with rebooked travel allowed through November 18. The original journey must have been booked before November 13.
Passengers covered by the waiver can also cancel and receive a refund to their original form of payment, provided they do so before their originally scheduled departure.
United Offers Rebooking And Refund Options
United Airlines has issued a travel waiver for passengers affected by the nationwide air traffic control outage, covering original travel dates from November 13 through November 15.
Customers whose flights are affected can reschedule without change fees or fare differences if the new United Airlines flight departs by November 20, remains in the same cabin and is between the same cities originally booked.
Travelers who choose a different destination may still have change fees waived, although a fare difference could apply. Passengers who cancel or do not take their trip can also seek a full refund under United Airlines' refund policy.
Southwest Warns Delays and Cancellations Could Continue
Southwest Airlines said flights have resumed following the nationwide ground stop, but warned passengers that delays and cancellations could continue while it works to restore normal operations.
The airline’s travel advisory covers customers with active reservations from Friday, November 13 through Monday, November 16. Eligible travelers can rebook or travel standby within five days of their original departure date between the same cities without paying a difference in airfare.
Passengers whose flight is canceled or significantly delayed and who decide not to travel may also be eligible for a refund on the unused portion of their ticket, including non-refundable fares, as well as certain optional charges.
Southwest Airlines is advising customers to check their flight status before heading to the airport and use its website or mobile app to review available options if their trip is disrupted.
What Caused the FAA Ground Stop?
The nationwide halt began Friday afternoon after problems emerged in systems used by air traffic controllers.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said Saturday that routine work was underway to move telecommunications lines from aging copper infrastructure to fiber when a newly installed router began flooding other routers with connection attempts. The Department of Transportation said the resulting telecommunications issues affected the stability of communications and radar systems.
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The ground stop was lifted at about 8:15 p.m. Eastern on Friday, allowing departures to resume gradually. Authorities warned immediately that restoring normal airline schedules would take time, an impact that passengers were still seeing Sunday.
Newsweek’s reporters and editors used Martyn, our AI assistant, to produce this story. Learn more about Martyn here.
Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Tobias Meyjes and Trevor Davies.
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