Air travel across the United States came to a standstill on Friday evening, November 13, when the Federal Aviation Administration ordered an extremely rare nationwide ground stop, halting most departing flights indefinitely.

The FAA cited "extraordinary circumstances and for reasons of safety" and later pinned the problem on communication failures affecting multiple Air Traffic Control Centers, with technicians working to trace the cause. By shortly after 5 p.m. EST, the agency confirmed every flight airborne when the stop was issued had landed safely. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin reassured the public that everyone was safe and there was no threat to passengers.

The scale of disruption grew quickly. FlightAware counted nearly 1,700 cancelled US flights and more than 10,000 delayed by 6 p.m. EST — and airlines warned the damage would stretch well into the evening. American Airlines said it expected effects for the rest of Friday and promised an all-hands recovery effort once the stop lifted. United grounded all new domestic departures, handling international departures case by case.

This was only the second nationwide ground stop since 9/11 — just the third this century — making it a genuinely extraordinary event rather than a routine weather mess. A few pockets kept flying: flights within Alaska, inter-island Hawaiian service and West Coast-to-Hawaii departures all continued.

For anyone caught in the fallout, the practical playbook matters. Under Department of Transportation rules, if your flight is cancelled or seriously delayed — defined as arriving three or more hours late domestically, six hours internationally — you're entitled to a refund to your original form of payment if you choose not to travel, not just a travel credit. Airline travel waivers typically offer free rebooking flexibility, but move fast: airport hotels and rental cars vanish quickly in mass disruptions. A backup flight booked with miles can be useful self-insurance, though check the cancellation terms first. And while many rewards credit cards include trip delay or cancellation cover, an FAA-mandated ground stop may not qualify, so keep every receipt for unexpected costs.

Anyone flying to, from or within the US in the coming days should check their flight status before heading to the airport and expect residual delays as airlines reposition aircraft and crews.