The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration says flight departures can resume after the agency lifted a nationwide ground stop that cancelled or suspended thousands of flights around the world on Friday.
Canada’s major airlines confirmed flights heading to and from the U.S. are cancelled. Air Canada said some flights to non-U.S. destinations like the Caribbean and South America may also be impacted.
Transport Minister Steven MacKinnon said Canada is ready to provide “full assistance” to the FAA as delays continue into the evening.
This is just the second nationwide ground stop in the United States since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.
Here’s what happened on Nov. 13, 2026:
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FAA lifts U.S. ground stop
The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration says airplane departures can resume after the agency lifted a nationwide ground stop caused by communications problems.
The FAA had grounded all flights nationwide Friday afternoon, causing hundreds of flights to be diverted. Officials cited “extraordinary circumstances” caused by communications problems at regional air traffic control centres.
Travellers wait for their luggage at Los Angeles International Airport on Friday, Nov. 13, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/William Liang)
Delays may continue: NAV Canada
NAV Canada says it will continue working to keep air traffic moving in Canadian airspace after the FAA lifted the ground stop order.
“Some delays may continue while operations return to normal and backlogs are cleared,” NAV Canada said in a post on social media.
It reiterated that passengers should check their flight status with their airline.
Airlines not required to offer additional compensation
An FAA computer problem is considered outside the control of the airlines — much like the weather.
The only thing the airlines are obligated to do is to offer free rebooking on another flight for travellers that want to continue to their destinations or a refund if their flight was canceled and they decide not to take the trip.
Travellers wait at LaGuardia Airport in New York, Friday, Nov. 13, 2026, after the FAA grounded flights nationwide. (AP Photo/Ryan Murphy)
‘Thank you, Canada’: Gov. Newsom
California Gov. Gavin Newsom thanked Canada for its support during the FAA’s ground stop of U.S. flights.
“Neighbours help neighbours,” he wrote on X Friday.
“That’s what friendship and leadership look like.”
Newsom was responding to Transport Minister Steven MacKinnon’s X post where he promised Canada’s ongoing assistance to the FAA.
“Washington may have temporarily forgotten this, but the American people never will,” added to his post.
“We are grateful.”
“Neighbours help neighbours,” he wrote on X Friday.
“That’s what friendship and leadership look like.”
Newsom was responding to Transport Minister Steven MacKinnon’s X post where he promised Canada’s ongoing assistance to the FAA.
“Washington may have temporarily forgotten this, but the American people never will,” added to his post.
“We are grateful.”
‘Some delays’ still possible in Calgary
Calgary Airports says some disruptions are still possible as operations return to normal after it halted all flights bound for the United States on Friday afternoon.
In a statement to CTV News at 8 p.m. MT, Calgary Airports said all flights on Friday bound for “the lower 48 states” were cancelled and some delays were “still possible across other routes.”
“It’s recommended that all travellers check flight status with their airline before coming as schedules begin to normalize,” the statement said.
Cassidy McMackon and Damien Wood, CTVNewsCalgary.ca
Pearson will be in ‘recovery mode’ Saturday: spokesperson
It is going to take some time for airport operations to resume as normal, Pearson spokesperson Erica Vella says.
She notes that it is still unclear if U.S. flights are going to resume this evening as the situation remains fluid.
“But we are working very, very closely with our airlines, and we will be moving into a bit of a recovery mode today and tomorrow to make sure that airlines can get their schedules back on schedule and make sure that passengers can get to their destinations,” Vella told CTV News Toronto.
She added that the airport’s emergency operations centres will remain activated while the airport moves into recovery mode.
Erica Vella speaks with CTV News Toronto about the operations at Toronto Pearson International Airport after the U.S. ground stop order was lifted. CTV News
Mexican singer stranded after Latin Grammys
Singer-songwriter Vivir Quintana was stuck in Las Vegas the day after performing at the Latin Grammys, upending plans to return to Mexico City for a performance Friday evening.
She was supposed to join Majo Aguilar as a guest artist for their performance at the country’s national auditorium.
“We’re waiting for our suitcases — hopefully this can get resolved — but right now, all we can really do is breathe and be patient,” she said. “She’s performing there for the first time tonight — her very first time at the auditorium. My family will be there, so I’m sad about that.”
Flight disruptions to continue: Pearson
Toronto Pearson International Airport says U.S. flights will continue “to experience disruptions and cancellations as airlines work to restore normal flight schedules,” despite the ground stop order being lifted.
The airport is advising passengers to keep checking the status of their flight directly with their airline before travelling to the airport.
No guarantee scenario won’t repeat itself: Duffy
“Is this exact thing going to happen again?” U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy told reporters. “I don't—I don’t know that this exact scenario will happen.”
Duffy also repeatedly called on Congress to authorize billions of dollars in spending to modernize federal aviation safety.
“And so I would say, America, Congress, let’s make this system more safe,” Duffy said.
Getting planes back in air will take time: official
At the time of the ground stoppage, there were 3,500 airplanes in the sky.
“And last time I looked, we had less than, 400 in the airspace,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy.
“It’s going to be slow” getting air traffic back to normal, he added.
Ground stop strands Toronto couple
Toronto-area couple Lyle Jakobsen and his wife were supposed to fly back from Sint Maarten this afternoon when their Air Canada flight got cancelled.
“We boarded. Everything was fine. In probably 10 minutes after boarding, we got a notification that we would be delayed. There was the FAA issue, so we sat on the tarmac for, I would say, probably the better part of an hour and 15 minutes,” Jakobsen told CP24 on Friday night.
“The pilot kept us up to date while we were on the tarmac.”
Passengers were then deboarded, and Jakobsen said he was able to find a hotel where they could stay.
Air Canada has said that flights from the Caribbean and South America that have to pass through U.S. airspace would be impacted by the ground stop.
“Air Canada has been very communicative with us, and we’re happy with that for sure. So, what one more night in Saint Martin is probably not the worst scenario,” Jakobsen said, adding that he hopes that they get to fly back to Toronto tomorrow.
Lyle Jakobsen speaks with CP24 after being stranded in Sint Maarten due to the FAA ground stop order. CP24
College football teams prioritized ahead of games
The ground stoppage left dozens of U.S. college football and other sports teams stranded or unable to depart for their weekend games.
“I would encourage those football teams to reach out to the FAA, to schedule their flight times and make sure they can move” to make their kickoff, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said.
Barbados flight ‘indefinitely cancelled’: traveller
A traveller who was set to fly out of Barbados to Toronto said she got the news her flight was cancelled when her plane was on the runway ready for take off.
Dominique Franklin spoke to CTV News Channel on Friday, sharing how she is stuck in Barbados as a result of the FAA grounding flights in U.S. airspace.
The flight crew said they were unable to access radar and radio to safely fly the plane, Franklin reported.
“I went straight to the WestJet desk,” she said, after she and her co-passengers left the plane.
“The only update that they were able to give us is to really just keep checking your email and we hope to be out to Toronto tomorrow morning.”
Franklin says she will sleep in half-hour increments tonight so she can check her email.
No evidence of cyberattack: DHS
“There was never any lives at risk,” U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said. “There was no flights at risk. FAA was able to handle it. We did it out of an abundance of caution.”
Mullin sought to downplay conspiracy theories about what caused the outage.
“I do understand the internet traffic, and where all these conspiracies are running towards,” he said.
Ottawa updates U.S. travel advisory
The federal government updated the safety and security section for the United States on its travel advisory website Friday.
It states that the FAA issued a nationwide ground stop for all U.S. airports, and that travellers can “expect air travel disruptions.”
It advises travellers to contract their airline for more information on how the grounding will impact travel plans.
Passengers should check with airlines
Erica Vella, a spokesperson with the Toronto Pearson International Airport, says the situation is “very fluid.” She reiterated what airport officials have been saying all night: that passengers should check directly with their airlines about their flight status.
“At this point, we know that flights from Toronto Pearson to the U.S. are being impacted right now. There’s over 100 U.S. flights that have been cancelled at this point,” Vella told CP24.
“We are telling passengers to make sure that they are checking their flight status and to not come to the airport if they do not have a confirmed booking.”
She noted that 20 other international flights have also been cancelled as a result of the ground stop order.
“We’re monitoring developments as well from the FAA, so we’re able to adapt and be able to address issues should they arise.”
Toronto Pearson International Airport spokesperson Erica Vella speaks with CP24 about the latest on the U.S. ground stop order that has impacted hundreds of American flights. CP24
Flights bound for Hawaii and Asia depart San Francisco
San Francisco airport said that flights headed across the Pacific Ocean were cleared to leave the airport starting around 5 p.m. Eastern. That includes flights destined for Hawaii and Asia.
Mullin had said earlier that international flights would be handled on a case-by-case basis.
U.S. users report Amtrak outages amid high traffic
Amtrak, the U.S. national railroad corporation, says it is currently experiencing “higher-than-normal call volumes due to ongoing airline issues.”
Passengers took to X to report problems booking tickets on the corporation’s website and app. According to Downdetector.com, reports of Amtrack outages skyrocketed around 7:00 p.m. ET, approximately three hours after the FAA halted U.S. flights.
FAA issues 'ground stop' for all flights across U.S. due to safety issue
All flights in the United States are grounded due to "extraordinary circumstances," the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced Friday.
The FAA issued the ground stop after a "communication issue" impacting all U.S. Air Route Traffic Control Centers," U.S. Transport Secretary Sean Duffy said in a social media post.
Hundreds of U.S. flights cancelled at Toronto’s two airports
Hundreds of flights have been cancelled at Toronto’s two airports after the FAA issued a ground stop order on Friday, leaving many passengers scrambling.
The Greater Toronto Airports Authority, which operates Toronto Pearson International Airport, said in a statement that there were no scheduled U.S.-bound departures or arrivals at this time
“Passengers are advised to check directly with their airline for the latest flight information before heading to the airport.”
The GTAA noted that international and domestic flights that do not require transit through the U.S. airspace will continue to operate.
Meanwhile, Toronto Billy Bishop Airport said that Air Canada and Porter Airlines have cancelled all remaining Friday U.S.-inbound and outbound flights.
Minnesota flight cancelled: Regina airport
The Regina International Airport says it is monitoring local impacts as the United States grounds all departing flights nationwide.
On Friday afternoon, a spokesperson for YQR told CTV News a Minneapolis-St. Paul flight scheduled to arrive in Regina on Friday night has been cancelled.
The spokesperson said the airport will be monitoring for additional impacts on other flights from the U.S., depending on how long the issue lasts.
Canada to provide ‘full assistance’ to FAA: Minister
Transport Minister Steven MacKinnon says Canada will support the U.S. aviation authority.
“Canada has offered its full assistance to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) as it manages the situation, including accommodation of U.S.-bound aircraft as required,” MacKinnon wrote on X.
He added that he remains ready to support U.S. aviation authorities moving forward.
Pearson Airport provides update on non-U.S. flights
Toronto Pearson Airport says international and domestic flights that do not require transit through the U.S. airspace will continue to operate.
“We are increasing staffing across the airport to assist affected passengers. Our support teams are being deployed throughout the terminals, with additional resources available in the U.S. departures area,” Pearson said in a post on social media.
“We are also working closely with airlines and have implemented a parking plan for aircraft.”
More than 100 flights to and from the U.S. have already been cancelled at Pearson tonight.
Communication issues don’t appear linked to new FAA system
The communications problems that led to the nationwide halt to flights don’t appear to be linked to the FAA’s new AI-powered system the agency is rolling out to help predict problems in the sky.
The FAA’s SMART system is based in a single location near Washington, D.C., where a team of experts analyzes flight schedules, weather forecasts and hundreds of other streams of data.
Then that office sends recommendations to the FAA’s command centre that relays them to controllers across the country for consideration.
The company that designed the system, ASI, said “the current ground stop is not based on or a result of the SMART system, any product of ASI or our integration with FAA and ATC.”
Travellers wait in line at ticket counters at LaGuardia Airport in New York, Friday, Nov. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Ryan Murphy)
U.S. ground stop throws sports world into chaos
The FAA's decision to ground all flights nationwide Friday threw the sports world into chaos, leaving NBA and NHL teams stranded as they tried to reach their destinations, and NFL teams were left to wonder whether the issue would be resolved in time for them to travel to their games this weekend.
The Nets were among five NBA teams scheduled to fly Friday for games on Saturday. They had just boarded the team plane in New Orleans after playing the Pelicans earlier this week when their flight to Memphis was halted in place.
The Pistons flew earlier in the day to Miami. The Cavaliers, Bulls and Grizzlies play Friday night and were due to fly afterward.
There are 14 scheduled games in the NHL on Saturday. And while the Panthers made it to St. Louis for their game before the stoppage began, the Sharks were among those that were left waiting to leave for their game in Utah.
The FAA did not provide a timeline for restarting flights, leaving sporting events taking place beyond Saturday in limbo. That includes most of the Week 10 schedule in the NFL.
Caribbean, South America flights may be affected: Air Canada
Yasmine Mehdi, an Air Canada spokesperson, said the ground stop is affecting flights to and from the United States. She said flights to and from the Caribbean and South America may also be affected.
"Any flights currently airborne have been advised they are permitted to continue," said Mehdi. "We are monitoring the situation very closely and will provide updates as they become available."
An Air Canada logo is seen on a partition at Vancouver International Airport, in Richmond, B.C., on Wednesday, August 13, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
‘Traffic management measures’ at Canadian airports
NAV CANADA, the country’s air navigation authority says it is “implementing traffic management measures” at major airports as a result of the FAA grounding U.S. flights.
The measures will help manage traffic at Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ), Montréal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport (YUL), Calgary International Airport (YYC) and Vancouver International Airport (YVR), the agency said in a post on X.
“Travellers should expect delays and check with their airline,” NAV CANADA added.
Pilots trained how to handle losing communications: expert
Aviation professor Skip Bailey said the reason they teach them that is so they will be prepared if the radio on their plane malfunctions. He said no one expects air traffic controllers nationwide to lose the ability to communicate.
Pilots are expected to maintain the headings and vectors that controllers gave them before the problem. And then if the outage continues, they revert to following their filed flight plan. Pilots may also be able to communicate with each other over the radio even if they can’t talk to controllers. And airliners have their own radar systems.
“It’s not mass chaos out there. There’s plenty of ways to try to communicate,” said Bailey, who teaches at the University of Nebraska at Omaha’s aviation institute. “But not letting anybody take off again obviously is extremely important because we don’t want to put more aircraft into a system that’s already having an issue.”
The Air Force One pilot prepares to take-off, with U.S. President Donald Trump aboard, at Joint Base Andrews, Md., Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen)
Pearson passengers wait for flight updates
A number of passengers flying to the U.S. at Toronto Pearson Airport are still waiting for updates from their airlines about their flights.
Donna, who is flying to New York City for the weekend, says her flight has been rescheduled for tomorrow.
“I was really hoping to fly out tonight. So, it’s a bit of an unfortunate situation,” she told CP24.
“Definitely very disappointed that my plans for the weekend have been cancelled, or at least very delayed.”
Derek is supposed to fly to Las Vegas and says Air Canada has told him to “stick around.” However, he is not optimistic that he’ll get to his destination.
“It’s most likely going to be cancelled. And even if you’re rebooked till tomorrow, it’s unlikely. So, I think you’re going to have people with a lot of refunds,” Derek said.
Shahab Mirmiran came to Toronto on Monday for work and is hoping to get back to Los Angeles tonight.
"Unfortunately, we don’t know what’s going on. I have to go. I need to do something for work,” he said. “They’re just saying you have to wait.”
Another man who arrived from London, U.K., says he's waiting to hear about his connecting flight to Raleigh, N.C.
“It stinks, but just holding off for a little bit and seeing what happens,” he said.
With files from CP24 reporter Natalie Van Rooy
Several passengers at Pearson Airport are waiting for updates about their flights to the U.S., as a ground stop remains in place. CP24
Flights to and from Ottawa impacted
The Ottawa International Airport said flights to and from the U.S. are currently impacted “until further notice.”
There are two flights scheduled to depart from YOW destined for the U.S., one to Boston and one to Chicago. There are flights scheduled to arrive in Ottawa from Chicago, Washington, Newark, Fort Myers and Fort Lauderdale.
“Please check with your airline before travelling to the airport. We will update information as it becomes available,” the airport said.
In statement to CTV News, an airport spokesperson said they are expecting some U.S. flights could be diverted to Ottawa.
‘Canadian systems are operating normally’: minister
Transport Minister Steven MacKinnon confirmed on Friday that Canada’s air traffic systems are running as expected.
“Canadian systems are operating normally,” he said in a post on X, adding that he is in contact with NAV CANADA.
However, he advised that travel to the U.S. may be disrupted.
“We will continue to monitor developments as the situation evolves and remain in contact with the relevant authorities.”
More than two dozen U.S. flights to and from Pearson cancelled
According to Toronto Pearson Airport’s website, as of 5:30 p.m. ET, about 14 flights to a number of U.S. destinations, including Newark, Boston, Chicago, and Seattle, have been cancelled.
Meanwhile, at least 26 American flights scheduled to arrive at Pearson tonight have also been cancelled.
Vancouver braces for delays
Vancouver International Airport says travellers heading to the U.S. should expect interruptions amid the FAA’s nationwide ground stop.
YVR is seeing delays for U.S.-bound departures, as well as “some international flights that would fly over the U.S.," the Richmond, B.C.-based airport says in a notice online Friday.
“Domestic flights within Canada are not impacted,” the airport adds.
“We recommend travellers check their flight status with their airline or yvr.ca before coming to the airport.”
No sign grounding triggered by threat: DHS Secretary
U.S. Homeland Security chief Markwayne Mullin on Friday said there was no indication of a threat to the country after a ground stop was issued at airports nationwide.
“There was no indication, as of yet, that this was a nefarious attack against us, it’s just a telecommunication outage, as of right now,” Mullins said, adding officials were “not ruling out anything at this point.”
‘Every flight has been accounted for’: FAA
The FAA says every flight has been accounted for and international flights will “be handled on a case by case basis.”
In a social post on the agency’s X account, the FAA said the call to halt all flights was made “out of an abundance of caution” due to a “temporary telecommunications outage.”
Issue appears similar to September outage: expert
Former United Airlines pilot and aviation expert Steve Arroyo said the problem appeared similar to a regional air traffic control communication outage in September that snarled hundreds of flights across the Northeast, except this time on a nationwide scale.
Arroyo said it could be linked to the outdated technology used by air traffic controllers.
“If you don’t have that ability, whether it’s because the old wires that they have are just run down or for whatever reason, you’ve got to stop airplanes on the ground,” said Arroyo. “And not put them in the air where you’re going to risk not being able to communicate with them.”
Edmonton flights could be impacted
The Edmonton International Airport (YEG) said some flights may be impacted as a result of the nationwide ground stop issued by the FAA.
There are several flights scheduled to depart to the U.S. from Edmonton on Friday, according to an airport spokesperson.
“As this is an evolving situation, passengers travelling to the United States today should check directly with their airline for the latest information on their flight before coming to the airport,” Erin Isfeld told CTV News Edmonton.
U.S.-bound flights held at YYC
Calgary International Airport says all U.S.-bound flights are staying put while a nationwide ground stop unfolds south of the border.
“We are monitoring the FAA nationwide ground stop. Departures of all U.S.-bound flights are currently being held at YYC until further notice,” the airport said in a statement Friday evening.
“We encourage travellers with flights scheduled for the U.S. to check with their airline for the most up-to-date information.”
Damien Wood and Cassidy McMackon, CTV News Calgary
‘This isn’t another 9/11’: DHS Secretary
U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin told reporters at the White House Friday that U.S. President Donald Trump has been briefed on the issue.
Mullin told reporters that he, the president and Duffy, along with counterparts throughout “all agencies,” will work in collaboration to find out what happened. He reiterated that there is “no fear to the public.”
“This isn’t another 9/11… I can’t repeat this enough” he said.
He said it’s “too early to tell” how long the stoppage will last.
U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin speaks with reporters at the White House, Friday, Nov. 13, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Passengers should contact airlines: Toronto's Billy Bishop
Billy Bishop Airport, located on the Toronto Islands, posted a notice on their website Friday afternoon advising travellers to the U.S. to contact airlines directly.
“We are aware of the ground stop affecting outbound flights at U.S. airports,” it read. “Billy Bishop Airport passengers are advised to contact their airlines directly for the latest information on flight status, delays and cancellations.”
Montreal airport suspends flights
The Montreal-Trudeau International Airport announced that it is temporarily suspending all flights to and from the U.S. following the FAA’s nationwide ground stop.
The flights are suspended “until further notice,” according to a notice on the Montreal airport’s website.
“Passengers are encouraged to check their flight status directly with their airline,” the airport said, adding that flight delays and cancellations are expected.
NAV Canada monitoring situation
NAV Canada said Friday they’re “closely monitoring” the FAA ground stop.
Our systems are operating normally and there is currently no impact to our operations,” they said in a social media post.
“We continue to support the safe movement of air traffic in our airspace, including any aircraft that may be diverted.
The company said passengers should check the status of their flight with the airline.
Flights between Toronto Pearson and U.S. impacted: GTAA
The Greater Toronto Airports Authority says flights between Pearson Airport and the U.S. “are impacted by the FAA’s nationwide ground stop.”
“There are currently no scheduled U.S.-bound departures or arrivals at this time,” said the GTAA, which operates the airport.
“Passengers are advised to check directly with their airline for the latest flight information before heading to the airport.”
According to Pearson’s website, several flights to and from the U.S. are delayed.
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