Knock-On Delays Expected for Irish Travellers After Nationwide US Ground Stop

Passengers flying between Ireland and the United States are being told to check with their airline before they travel. On Friday, 13 November 2026, a communications failure forced the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to stop every departure across the country for more than four hours, and the effects are still reaching Dublin and Shannon.

Correct as of 08:31 GMT, Saturday 14 November 2026. This is a developing situation.

What Happened

According to Flightradar24, the FAA issued the nationwide ground stop at 20:54 Irish time on Friday. Its notice said the stop was being imposed “due to extraordinary circumstances and for reasons of safety”. Aircraft already in the air were allowed to land, but nothing on the ground in the US could take off.

The stop was lifted at 8.15pm Eastern Time, which was 01:15 Irish time. It was the longest nationwide shutdown of US air travel since the 11 September 2001 attacks. It was also only the second time since then that every US departure has been halted; the first was in January 2023.

US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the stoppage followed “a communication issue impacting all Air Route Traffic Control Centers”. He later said “incredibly old” air traffic control routers had become overloaded with data and began giving inconsistent readings.

Sean Duffy, US Transportation Secretary:

“This is a legacy system problem.”

US Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said there was no indication yet that “this was a nefarious attack against us. It’s just a telecommunications outage”. The full cause has not yet been confirmed.

Dublin Airport

According to The Irish Times, 24 flights from the US were due to land at Dublin Airport before 10.30am on Saturday. The first, from Boston, was scheduled for 4.15am.

In an update early on Saturday, Dublin Airport said most of the first wave of inbound US flights were either airborne or had an active flight plan. It said some delays to flights between Dublin and the US are expected, and that a small number of scheduled flights are likely to be cancelled.

Travel trade site TravelExtra reports that two Aer Lingus arrivals into Dublin have been cancelled: EI116 from Washington, due at 05:05, and EI424 from Chicago, due at 09:30.

Aer Lingus

On Friday night, Aer Lingus said its flights from the US had been on hold, but some were later cleared to depart.

Aer Lingus, in a statement:

“Aer Lingus flights en route to the US are permitted to land. Some Aer Lingus flights from the US are now being cleared to depart. We are continuing to monitor the situation closely and will communicate directly with customers who are impacted by the disruption. Customers should continue to check aerlingus.com for the latest updates.”

Updates are available at aerlingus.com.

Shannon Airport

The Clare Herald reports that Shannon Airport was expecting only two scheduled US flights on Saturday morning. Aer Lingus EI-110 from New York’s JFK arrived shortly before 6am, and EI-134 from Boston arrived late, at around 7.30am.

A separate problem at Shannon earlier in the week is unrelated to the ground stop. On Thursday, EI-111 diverted to Bradley International Airport in Connecticut, and as a result the return flight, EI-110, due into Shannon on Friday morning, was cancelled.

What It Means for Cork Travellers

Cork Airport has not featured in any of the coverage so far. However, Cork passengers heading to or from the US through Dublin, Shannon or European hubs such as London Heathrow, Amsterdam, Paris and Frankfurt should check their flight status before setting off.

Why the Disruption Could Last

Most flights from the US land in Ireland overnight. An aircraft that did not leave the US on Friday night will not be here to operate its return flight on Saturday. Long waits on the ground can also leave crews unable to fly, even once a stop is lifted.

Mr Duffy has warned that recovery will be slow, because aircraft and crews need to be repositioned.

American Airlines, in a statement:

“We expect residual delays and cancellations tonight and into tomorrow following the FAA’s nationwide ground stop.”

According to FlightAware figures reported by CNN, more than 2,000 flights within, into or out of the US have already been cancelled for Saturday.

On the European side, The Irish Times reports that a Eurocontrol notice suspended all US-bound departures from European airports until 05:00 UTC on Saturday.

Official Advice

Department of Transport:

“This is an evolving situation and the Department advises all passengers who are due to travel to the US on Saturday 14 November to check with their airline for information regarding the status of their flight.”

Flight information for each airport is on dublinairport.com and shannonairport.ie. The FAA’s live National Airspace System status page shows any remaining ground stops or delays at US airports.

Your Rights if Your Flight Is Affected

Under EU Regulation 261/2004, an air traffic control failure is generally treated as an “extraordinary circumstance”, so cash compensation is usually not payable. Passengers still have the right to a refund or rerouting, and to care such as meals and accommodation while they wait.

These rights cover flights departing from an EU airport, and flights into the EU operated by EU airlines such as Aer Lingus. The Commission for Aviation Regulation can advise passengers on their individual situation.

An Ageing System

A 2024 report by the US Government Accountability Office found that the FAA rated 51 of its 138 air traffic control systems as unsustainable, and a further 54 as potentially unsustainable. Mr Duffy has asked Congress for $30.1 billion to upgrade the system, and he repeated that request after the stop was lifted.