The nationwide ground stop in the US was lifted on November 13 after a disruption in the air traffic control system. However, consequences remain: according to FlightAware data cited by Associated Press, more than 2,500 flights are canceled for Saturday, November 14, and hundreds more are delayed.

The lifting of restrictions is confirmed by notice No. 005 of the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) command center. According to Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, air traffic reopened at approximately 8:15 pm in New York on November 13 — 2:15 am in Rome and 3:15 am in Kyiv on November 14.

The nationwide ground stop lasted more than four hours. The resumption of departures does not mean an immediate return to the normal schedule: airlines must consider aircraft locations and crew availability for subsequent flights.

Duffy warned that restoration of operations will take time. He said that in the evening airlines will try to operate as many flights as available crews allow, with recovery of remaining flights continuing on Saturday.

The secretary linked the incident to overloaded outdated switches and routers. According to his explanation, equipment began producing unstable data, affecting communications with aircraft and radar information.

Duffy stressed that there was no total loss of all communication and radar: the ground stop was implemented out of caution. He also rejected any connection of the disruption to SMART — a new decision support tool for air traffic controllers.

For passengers between Europe and the US, the lifting of the general ban does not automatically restore specific routes. Both the international flight and onward connections at the American airport must be checked: a cancellation on one leg can disrupt the entire journey.

Before heading to the airport, check the flight status on the airline's website or app. If the flight is canceled or a connection becomes impossible, options for rebooking must be clarified with the carrier based on your itinerary.

The number of canceled and delayed flights continues to change. The data provided reflects the AP snapshot, not the final outcome for November 14.

Sources: FAA notice lifting restrictions, US Department of Transportation, Associated Press.