Latest issueA nationwide ground stop snarled Sea-Tac, and the Seahawks head to VegasRead now

SEAtodaySubscribe — it’s free

← Seattle news

TravelSaturday, November 14

A nationwide FAA ground stop snarled flights at Sea-Tac on Friday

The SEAtoday teamFrom today’s edition · 1 min read · 6 sources

ShareEmailFacebookX

If you tried to fly out of on Friday afternoon, you ran into the first nationwide ground stop since 2023, the Associated Press noted. The FAA cited "extraordinary circumstances and for reasons of safety," and the airport said departures were temporarily suspended. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said a communication issue hit all .

The stop lifted nearly four hours later, and FOX 13 says nearly 10,000 flights were delayed nationwide. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said it was done "out of an abundance of caution" and that there were "never any lives at risk."

Friday's ground stop was only the third nationwide in modern U.S. aviation history

  1. Sept. 2001FAA grounded aircraft across the country and shut U.S. airspace by 9:45 a.m.
  2. Jan. 2023FAA's NOTAM system went down, causing a nationwide halt.
  3. Nov. 13FAA halted flights nationwide; the stop lifted nearly four hours later.

Sources: MyNorthwest.com, KIRO 7 News Seattle, The Daily of the University of Washington

  • Michigan State kickoff: 2:30 p.m. Saturday, was 1:15 p.m.
  • Basketball tip at Utah: 11 a.m. PT Sunday
  • UW cross country teams: stranded in Sacramento

Washington teams felt it too. The Huskies football team didn't leave Seattle until after 7:30 p.m., and the men's basketball team now plays at Utah on Sunday instead of Saturday.

Sea-Tac's delays and the price of fixing the FAA's aging systems

227
delays at Sea-Tac in FlightAware's count
3
cancellations at Sea-Tac in FlightAware's count
$12.5 billion
approved by Congress last year for upgrades
$30 billion
more Duffy says the overhaul will need

Source: MyNorthwest.com

Sources: MyNorthwest.com, KIRO 7 News Seattle, The Daily of the University of Washington, FOX 13 Seattle, The Seattle Times, Tacoma News Tribune

Read it in the full edition

More from today’s edition

Read the edition
SeahawksSeahawks head to Vegas mostly healthy, with Drew Lock set to start againIf you're watching the Seahawks at the Raiders on Sunday, the injury report is mostly good news. Seattle ruled out four players Friday, and none was expected to play. Wide receiver Rashid Shaheed and edge Uchenna Nwosu are set to return after missing two games.Today’s editionRead

More getting around from local newsrooms

All getting around news

  1. KIRO 7 News Seattle4 hours ago

    SEA-TAC remains disrupted as airlines recover from nationwide ground stop

    Seattle-Tacoma International Airport faces continued delays and cancellations following a nationwide FAA ground stop.

    Also reported byLynnwood Times

  2. FOX 13 Seattle4 hours ago

    SEA travelers face cascading delays after FAA systems outage

    By Saturday morning, FlightAware had reported more than 100 flight cancellations and another 100 delays at SEA, forcing some would-be flyers to abandon their travel plans or embark on last-minute, cross-country drives.

  3. The Seattle Times6 hours ago

    Sea-Tac delays, cancellations after ‘routine’ repairs grounded U.S. travel

    Travelers headed to Sea-Tac and other Northwest airports faced delays and cancellations Saturday as the U.S. air travel system struggled to recover from nationwide pause flights.

    Also reported byKOMO

  4. FOX 13 Seattle7 hours ago

    FAA holds briefing after nationwide ground stop + impacts at SEA airport

    US Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy holds a briefing on Saturday, less than 24 hours after the FAA issued a nationwide ground stop. Plus, FOX 13 reporter Sam Campbell has the latest on the impacts felt at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.

    Also reported byBellingham HeraldSecret SeattleMyNorthwest.com