What happened to US airlines today? Over 15,000 flights cancelled after longest nationwide ground stop in 25 years

Thousands of flights were cancelled across the US on Saturday, November 14, as airlines struggled to recover from the longest nationwide ground stop in 25 years. The disruption stranded thousands of passengers at airports and forced professional and college sports teams to scramble for alternative transportation.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) grounded flights nationwide on Friday, November 13. The ground stop lasted more than four hours, triggering widespread delays and cancellations across the country.

The shutdown was the first nationwide ground stop since January 2023, when another key FAA computer system responsible for sending notices to pilots malfunctioned. It was also the second such nationwide shutdown since the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

What caused the nationwide flight shutdown?

As per the Associated Press, Trump administration officials said new technology being introduced into the country's air traffic control system overloaded outdated equipment, resulting in intermittent communication failures and radar gaps.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin attributed the disruption to ageing routers that became overwhelmed by data, producing inconsistent readings.

Mullin, as quoted by CNN, said the FAA had been installing new equipment and technology as part of its efforts to modernise the system. However, the upgrades placed additional pressure on older infrastructure.

The incident exposed the vulnerabilities of the country's ageing air traffic control network. The FAA had announced plans just a week earlier to phase out floppy disks used in some operational procedures.

How many flights were affected?

The AP report put the numbers at above 2000 but the CNN report claimed that the nationwide ground stop disrupted more than 15,000 flights through cancellations and delays, with thousands of additional disruptions expected on Saturday.

Airports across the US witnessed long queues, stranded passengers and travellers waiting for hours to board flights, CNN reported. Some passengers were reportedly forced to spend the night on airport floors.

Airlines reported varying levels of recovery following the FAA's decision to allow flights to resume late Friday.

Delta Air Lines said it had restored its scheduled flight operations, while United Airlines said it is resuming operations, including some Friday night flights.

Will passengers get refunds for cancelled flights?

Passengers whose flights were cancelled are entitled to refunds under US Department of Transportation rules, even if the airline offers an alternative flight or travel credit.

Travel expert Katy Nastro of Going.com said, “If a flight does get canceled, travelers are owed a full refund for the ticket, full stop. If they are presented with a credit, they have the right to refuse and ask for monetary refund."