NEW DELHI – Air India flights connecting India with the United States continued to operate as per their scheduled times on Saturday, November 14, despite a significant nationwide aviation disruption in the US. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) had imposed a ground stop across the United States due to communication failures affecting air traffic control operations.
According to statements from airline officials, all Air India flights destined for New York, Newark, and San Francisco arrived on time early Saturday morning. Departures from these three major US airports also proceeded without any reported major delays, ensuring passengers could continue their journeys without significant inconvenience.
FAA Grounds Flights Amid Communication Failures
The disruption began on Friday, November 13, when the FAA initiated a nationwide ground stop on all departing flights across the United States. This unprecedented measure, implemented around 3:54 PM Eastern Time, was attributed to “extraordinary circumstances and safety concerns” stemming from communication system outages. The restriction was eventually lifted at approximately 8:15 PM ET, after more than four hours, allowing flight departures to gradually resume.
US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy later attributed the widespread disruption to overloaded communications equipment, highlighting issues with the country's aging air traffic control infrastructure. The outage impacted all 22 air route traffic control centers responsible for managing aircraft movements between airports.
Industry Impact and Air India's Response
While the ground stop was lifted, aviation authorities cautioned that it would take time for normal operations to resume, with many airlines continuing to face delays and cancellations as they worked to reposition aircraft and crew members.
Prior to confirming normal operations, Air India had issued a travel advisory. The airline urged passengers traveling to and from the United States to check their flight status before heading to the airport and to plan their journeys accordingly. Air India affirmed that its teams were closely monitoring the situation and committed to providing timely updates.