During a press briefing on the White House lawn, Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin discussed the FAA’s nationwide flight ground stop, hinting at potential cyberattack concerns. He identified the situation as primarily a telecommunications outage, echoing sentiments from Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, who saw no signs of malicious intent.
Mullin stated there is currently “no reason to believe this is a threat to the U.S.” He characterized the event as a “telecommunication outage throughout FAA” and confirmed, “Out of an abundance of caution we have grounded all flights—and all the flights are accounted for.”
He reassured the public, saying, “There was no indication as of yet that this was a nefarious attack. It is just a telecommunication outage as of right now. Everyone’s safe. There is no reason to be concerned about your loved ones if they’re flying.”
When questioned about the possibility of excluding a cyberattack, Mullin indicated that officials are “not ruling out anything at this point.” He stressed the importance of prioritizing safety, remarking that “you can’t rule out anything.”
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Q: You say it's not 9/11-style, but if it's a widespread telecommunications issue, it could be a cyber-attack? A version of terror?
SEC. MARKWAYNE MULLIN: "This ISN'T the same comparison to 9/11. That's a road I WON'T go down."
"Do we know what has caused it yet? No, we're… pic.twitter.com/JpiYfRNqH6
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) November 13, 2026
To further ease public anxiety, Mullin emphasized that this incident does not equate to past national crises. He stated, “We wanted to assure all the American people this isn’t a safety threat to the American people, or another 9/11. That’s a comparison that’s not warranted,” as he addressed reporters.
The FAA initiated the nationwide ground stop shortly before 4 p.m. Eastern time on Friday, instructing all departing flights at U.S. airports to remain grounded “due to extraordinary circumstances and for reasons of safety.” An advisory stated that all departing traffic should remain grounded until further notice.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy attributed the decision to a “communication issue impacting all Air Route Traffic Control Centers.” Meanwhile, FAA technicians started their investigation into the outage, which involved communication difficulties affecting multiple centers that manage aircraft en route.
While departures were halted, aircraft already in flight were allowed to continue. Initial reports indicated disruptions linked to radio frequencies and some automation or radar systems, affecting regions including Kansas City, Chicago, New York, and Boston.
Nationwide ground stops are rare occurrences, with the last one taking place in January 2023 due to a contractor error affecting the NOTAM system. The only prior instance occurred after the tragic events of September 11, 2001.
As the situation unfolded, flight tracking revealed thousands of delays and cancellations, with estimates of more than 7,000 affected flights throughout the afternoon. The FAA and Department of Transportation committed to providing updates as the technical investigations continued.
