14.11.2026 01:50
While flights across the country were halted due to a communication outage in air traffic control systems in the US, a striking statement came from Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin. Emphasizing that the incident should not be associated with the September 11 attacks, Mullin said that initial findings pointed to a technical malfunction, but that all possibilities, including the possibility of a cyberattack, were being investigated.
Flights were halted at airports across the country due to a communications outage at air traffic control centers in the US. Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin stated that at this stage there is no evidence that the incident was a cyberattack, while announcing that all possibilities are being investigated.
A communications failure in the US on Friday, November 13, caused major disruption to air travel. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) decided to halt departures at all airports due to the problem affecting air traffic control centers nationwide.
In remarks to journalists in front of the White House, US Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin said that at this stage the outage did not point to a malicious attack.
"THIS IS A TELECOMMUNICATIONS OUTAGE"
Mullin noted that initial findings pointed to a telecommunications failure and said, "At the moment there is no indication that this is a malicious attack against us. This is a telecommunications outage."
Emphasizing that the incident should not be linked to the September 11 attacks, Mullin said, "This is not another September 11. There is no reason for the public to be afraid or to worry about their relatives."
CYBERATTACK AND ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE POSSIBILITY ALSO UNDER INVESTIGATION
Mullin stated that the investigation into the cause of the outage is ongoing and that no possibility has yet been completely ruled out. He noted that they are also investigating whether there was a cyberattack or a problem connected to the FAA's new artificial intelligence-supported systems.
US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced that the communications problem affected 22 regional air traffic control centers nationwide. It was reported that FAA technical teams are working to determine the source of the failure.
ALL AIRCRAFT IN THE AIR BEING TRACKED
Mullin stated that all aircraft in flight had been identified and safely landed. The FAA also announced that the status of international flights would be evaluated separately.
The nationwide ground stop was expected to continue until at least 23:00 (US Eastern Time). Officials warned that after the communications systems are brought back online, it may also take time for the accumulated flight traffic to return to normal.
The last nationwide ground stop in the US was implemented in January 2023 due to a failure in the FAA's computer system that sends notifications to pilots.