Following a nationwide ground stop, Delta and United Airlines are issuing travel waivers. (Photo by Kevin Carter/Getty Images) ((Photo by Kevin Carter/Getty Images) / Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS - The Federal Aviation Administration issued a nationwide ground stop of flights on Friday afternoon citing communications problems.
As a result, airlines have begun issuing travel waivers.
Travel waivers during ground stop
What we know:
Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines has halted all departing flights and issued a flexible travel waiver for passengers as a nationwide Federal Aviation Administration ground stop disrupts air travel across the country.
In a statement issued Friday, Delta said its teams are focused on assisting customers while the FAA-mandated air traffic control ground stop remains active across all U.S. airports.
According to the airline, no Delta flights are taking off while the order is in place, though flights that were already en route are being allowed to continue to their destinations.
"Safety remains our priority which includes flights already enroute and those we intend to dispatch tonight. Customers should monitor their flight status on the Delta app or delta.com for the latest information," Delta said in its statement. "Our goal is to safely resume departures when possible. We thank our customers for their understanding and our people for managing through the issue."
The nationwide ground stop was ordered earlier Friday afternoon after a temporary communication issue impacted all Air Route Traffic Control Centers across the U.S., according to U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy. The FAA said flights were halted "out of an abundance of caution" while technicians investigate the issue.
United Airlines is also issuing waivers.
"You can reschedule your trip and we’ll waive change fees and fare differences," United wrote on its website. "But, your new flight must be a United flight departing between November 12, 2026 and November 20, 2026. Tickets must be in the same cabin and between the same cities as originally booked. If your new trip is after November 12, 2026, or is to a different destination, we’ll still waive any change fees but you might have to pay a fare difference depending on the flight. If you cancel or don’t take your trip, you can get a full refund."
What we don't know:
Airlines and federal aviation officials have not provided an estimated timeline for when the nationwide ground stop will be lifted or when departing flights will safely resume.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from a statement issued by Delta Air Lines and United Airlines, advisories and statements from the Federal Aviation Administration and the U.S. Department of Transportation and flight-tracking data from FlightAware. This story was reported from Eden Prairie, Minnesota and Atlanta.