Nationwide Ground Stop History: Every Major US Event
The US has issued only a handful of nationwide ground stops. The two best documented are September 11, 2001, when airspace closed for days, and January 11, 2023, when a NOTAM system outage grounded departures for about two hours.
The documented events
| Date | Cause | Scope | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 11, 2001 | Terror attacks | All US civil airspace closed | Several days |
| Jan 11, 2023 | NOTAM system outage | All domestic departures | Roughly 2 hours |
The 2023 outage was the first nationwide ground stop since 2001. The FAA paused all domestic departures while it restored the Notice to Air Missions system, then lifted the order the same morning. Cancellations and delays continued through the day because aircraft and crews were out of position.
Why the list is so short
A nationwide stop means the system cannot safely separate traffic anywhere. That requires a failure of shared infrastructure or a national security decision. Local weather, a single airline's meltdown, or one airport's runway closure never rises to that level.
What recovery looks like
The order is the short part. Recovery is the long part: aircraft are out of position, crews are out of hours, and passengers are queued for rebooking. After a two-hour national stop, the practical disruption usually runs six to twelve hours, with the worst effects at hubs that bank their schedules.
- First departures are sequenced by original slot, not by who is ready first.
- Airlines cancel short-haul flights to protect long-haul and hub connections.
- Crew duty limits create a second wave of cancellations in the evening.
- The following morning is usually normal if no new cause appears.
Our archive vs this list
This page lists only national events. The history page on this site lists every airport-level and national event we have observed since monitoring began, with start time, end time, duration and airport count. That is a different and much larger dataset.
Sources
FAQ
Was there a nationwide ground stop in 2023?
Yes. On January 11, 2023, a NOTAM system outage led the FAA to pause all domestic departures for roughly two hours.
Has the US ever closed all airspace?
Yes, from September 11, 2001. Civil flights were grounded for several days before a phased reopening.
Are nationwide ground stops common during hurricanes?
No. Hurricanes produce airport closures and regional stops, not nationwide orders.