FAA Ground Stop Lifted: Atlanta Airport Delays After 4-Hour Halt

What the FAA said and when the ground stop ended

The order went out at 3:53 p.m. ET, according to CNN. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said on X that the FAA issued the nationwide stop "following a communication issue impacting all Air Route Traffic Control Centers." Later in the afternoon the FAA described it as "a temporary telecommunications outage" and said flights were halted "out of an abundance of caution." Planes already in the air kept flying to their destinations, and the agency said international flights would be handled case by case. At 6:39 p.m., WSB-TV reported, an FAA advisory said some departures would be released as en route facilities recovered.

CNN reported at 8:34 p.m. ET that the FAA had lifted the order, and WSB-TV logged the end at 8:30 p.m. Reuters called it the longest nationwide shutdown since the September 11, 2001, attacks. The only other nationwide ground stop since then came in January 2023 and lasted around 90 minutes. An airline source told CNN the trouble stemmed from a problem with network routers that cascaded nationwide, and WSB-TV reported that Duffy blamed old hardware during a White House briefing. Officials have not published a full technical explanation.

By the numbers: cancellations, delays and stranded travelers

FlightAware counted 5,117 cancellations and 9,814 delays within, into or out of the United States as of 8 p.m. ET, CNN reported, noting the totals cover the whole day and not only the hours after the order. Reuters, citing FlightRadar24, put the figures at more than 4,700 canceled and 10,000 delayed, with another 700 flights already canceled for Saturday. The aviation analytics firm Cirium estimated 1.5 million people were stranded and said at least 827 flights were diverted.

CNN's tracking showed takeoffs from US airports falling from about 125 every five minutes to roughly 10 after the order. The recovery will not be instant. JetBlue said it was canceling all remaining Friday flights except Europe-bound departures from JFK and Boston, and Air Canada canceled its flights between Canada and the US for the evening. Aviation analysts told Reuters it could take days for airlines to restore their schedules. Follow our Atlanta news coverage for updates as the weekend unfolds.

Watch: Officials address the FAA nationwide ground stop

How the ground stop hit Hartsfield-Jackson and Delta

Atlanta felt it immediately. At 4:22 p.m., WSB-TV reported, a Hartsfield-Jackson spokesperson said arriving flights were permitted to land but departures were temporarily suspended. FlightAware data cited by the station showed 628 delays and 22 cancellations at the airport by 4:54 p.m., 759 delays and 244 cancellations by 6:22 p.m., and 300 cancellations with 751 delays by 6:50 p.m. Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines told FOX 5 Atlanta that none of its flights were departing during the stop and put a travel waiver in place so customers with flexible plans could change flights at no extra cost.

The ripple reached well past the gates. WSB-TV found at least 40 hotels near the airport listed with no vacancy, and eight rental car companies, including Avis, Enterprise and Hertz, had no cars available there. Some stranded passengers told the station they shared rideshares to other states, with one ride costing as much as $2,700. Atlanta police increased patrols for crowd control, Police Chief Darin Schierbaum asked travelers to stay patient, and a spokesperson for Sen. Raphael Warnock said the FAA must give the public a clear explanation. It is one more stress test for an airport at the center of Atlanta's 2026 visitor economy.

What travelers flying out of Atlanta should know tonight

A lifted ground stop is not a cleared schedule. As of 7:45 p.m. ET, FlightAware showed Delta had already canceled 5% of its Saturday flights, United 4% and American 2%, according to CNN. Delta's statement asked customers to monitor flight status on the Delta app or delta.com. United also issued a travel waiver, FOX 5 Atlanta reported, and Frontier's waiver covers customers scheduled to fly between Nov. 13 and Nov. 15, according to WSB-TV. Hartsfield-Jackson's own guidance during the stop was to check with your airline for flight updates.

Officials have been clear on one point: Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said "there was no cyber attack," and Reuters reported the department saw no signs of one. If you are waiting it out at the gate or in a rebooking line, you can listen live to Di-VerZe HitZ Radio, free and 24/7, or catch up on the Atlanta Top 25.

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