The United States has ordered a nationwide halt to flight departures after a major air traffic control communications failure, raising fresh concerns for airline stocks already under pressure on Wall Street.
Every US airport was ordered to stop departures on Friday afternoon, November 13, just six minutes before Wall Street closed. The sudden shutdown threatens to disrupt thousands of flights and could leave major airlines facing a costly weekend.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued the order around 3:54 p.m. Eastern, citing “extraordinary circumstances and for reasons of safety.”
According to Reuters, aircraft already airborne could continue flying and land, while international arrivals would be handled individually.
What Caused the Nationwide Flight Shutdown?
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy confirmed that communications problems were affecting regional air traffic control centers responsible for directing aircraft across the country.
The FAA had already halted traffic in Chicago shortly before issuing the nationwide order.
Technicians are investigating the failure. The agency has yet to identify its underlying cause or announce when normal departures will resume.
The disruption follows another major technology failure. A global Microsoft 365 outage, which began Thursday, continued affecting Outlook and Teams on Friday.
However, there is no confirmed connection between Microsoft’s problems and the FAA failure.
Airline Stocks Face Another Major Risk
The shutdown arrived during an already difficult week for aviation stocks.
On Thursday, United Airlines (UAL) fell 6.0%, American Airlines (AAL) dropped 5.6%, and Delta Air Lines (DAL) lost 5.2%. Those declines occurred before Friday’s grounding.
The broader market also finished Friday lower. The Nasdaq lost 0.9%, while the S&P 500 declined 0.4%, according to AP market data.
The FAA announcement came too late to establish a meaningful stock-market reaction during regular trading.
Now, investors face a new uncertainty. Extended flight cancellations could increase operating costs and disrupt airline schedules well beyond Friday.
Monday’s market reopening could become the first major test for airline stocks, particularly if the FAA’s communications problems remain unresolved through the weekend.
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