Thousands of US flights cancelled after nationwide air traffic control failure

Thousands of flights across the US remain disrupted after a nationwide air traffic control failure forced authorities to suspend departures for more than four hours on Friday (13 November), with cancellations and delays extending into the weekend. 

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) lifted the ground stop at 20:15 Eastern Time on Friday, but airlines have warned that restoring normal operations could take several days. 

Flight tracking service Flightradar24 reported more than 4,700 cancellations and approximately 10,000 delays on Friday, with hundreds of additional flights cancelled on Saturday as carriers attempted to clear the backlog. 

The disruption has extended beyond the US, affecting international services from Europe and Asia. 

Flights between the UK and US were among those affected, with cancellations and delays reported at London Heathrow. Services connecting US airports with Amsterdam, Paris, Frankfurt, Madrid, and Seoul also experienced disruption. 

The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) warned that passengers could continue to face delays while airlines reposition aircraft and crews and arrange alternative flights for affected travellers. 

“Anyone due to travel on flights between the UK and USA should check with their airline for the latest information before heading to the airport,” the CAA said. 

Outdated infrastructure blamed for disruption 

US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy attributed the shutdown to a telecommunications failure involving ageing air traffic control equipment. 

The incident caused instability in radar and communications systems, prompting the FAA to suspend departures as a precaution. 

Duffy said overloaded switches and routers had produced inconsistent information, although air traffic controllers retained sufficient capability to manage aircraft already in flight safely. 

The shutdown was the longest nationwide ground stop since the September 11 attacks in 2001, exceeding the duration of a similar systems failure in January 2023. 

US Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said there was no evidence of a cyberattack or a connection to the separate Microsoft outage reported earlier in the week. 

The incident has renewed scrutiny of the country’s ageing aviation infrastructure, with Duffy calling for US$50 billion in funding to modernise air traffic control systems. 

Passengers face continuing disruption 

The widespread cancellations have left travellers seeking alternative flights and accommodation, raising questions over the extent of airline assistance and travel insurance protection. 

Under US regulations, passengers whose flights are cancelled or significantly delayed are generally entitled to a refund if they decline alternative travel arrangements. However, airlines are not generally required to provide compensation for disruption caused by air traffic control failures. 

Passengers departing from the UK, or travelling on qualifying UK-operated services, may have additional rights to meals, accommodation, and alternative transport under UK passenger protection rules. 

Travel insurance coverage for additional expenses will depend on individual policy terms, including the cause and duration of the disruption and any applicable exclusions. 

With airlines continuing to restore their schedules, travellers have been advised to monitor flight information and contact their carriers before travelling to the airport.