US flights resume after nationwide shutdown caused 6,000 cancellations

Flights have resumed across the US after a nationwide suspension of departures caused more than 6,000 cancellations plus thousands of delays, on Friday evening, November 13.

US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced the ground stop in a post on X, saying: “The FAA [Federal Aviation Administration] issued a nationwide ground stop for all U.S. airports following a communication issue impacting all Air Route Traffic Control Centers.”

The order meant that all departing flights had to remain on the ground, while aircraft already in the air were allowed to continue to their destinations.

The issues began at around 15:36 Eastern Time on Friday (21:36 in France), with communications and radar systems working intermittently.

The suspension was necessary because air traffic controllers could not reliably track aircraft.

The restriction was ultimately lifted at 20:15 Eastern Time on Friday (2:15 French time on Saturday), but the return to normal operations is expected to take time.

At the moment, there is no official figure available for the number of flights between France and the US that were cancelled. 

Could flights still be affected on Saturday?

Despite the resumption of flights, services continue to face disruption throughout Saturday and possibly beyond, as aircraft and crew members may be in different locations from where they were originally scheduled to operate.

In addition, Friday's cancellations have left airlines with a backlog of passengers to accommodate.

Airlines also need to ensure they have sufficient pilots and cabin crew available before resuming their full schedules.

Passengers travelling to or from the US on Saturday should check their flight status and monitor emails and airline apps for updates before leaving for the airport, as departure times may change.

Can passengers claim compensation?

Passengers whose flights are cancelled or significantly delayed may be entitled to a refund or alternative travel arrangements.

For flights departing from France, EU passenger rights rules apply, no matter which airline operates the route. These rules also cover flights from the US to France if they are operated by an EU airline.

Then, for flights from the US to France operated by a non-EU airline, US Department of Transportation (DOT) refund rules apply instead.

Under US rules, passengers are entitled to a refund if their flight is cancelled or so significantly changed that they no longer wish to travel. However, US rules do not require airlines to pay compensation for cancellations or delays.

Under EU rules, passengers may be entitled to compensation for cancellations or long delays. However, airlines are exempt from paying this when disruption is caused by extraordinary circumstances (such as bad weather) that could not have been avoided even if all reasonable measures had been taken.

A widespread failure of air traffic control communications is likely to fall into this category.

The right to a refund or rerouting, however, remains in place.

Affected passengers should contact their airline directly to find out what assistance and travel options are available.