Thousands of passengers were stranded after all US flights were grounded on Friday, and some social media users are blaming aliens.
The nationwide ground stop began at around 4pm EST on Friday, November 13, when the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) halted all departing flights across the country. Aircraft already airborne were permitted to continue to their destinations. The suspension lasted more than four hours, with the ground stop lifted at approximately 8.15pm EST.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy later attributed the disruption to problems with the country’s ageing air traffic control infrastructure. The telecommunications outage affected radar and communications systems at air traffic control centres. Officials determined the issue was serious enough that departures had to be halted as a safety precaution.
The disruption extended far beyond the initial four-hour window. According to FlightAware figures reported by the Los Angeles Times, thousands of flights were delayed or cancelled. By Saturday morning, November 14, major airports including New York’s JFK, Chicago’s O’Hare and Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson were still reporting significant cancellations and delays.
The knock-on effects reached international destinations as well. Airports in Europe and Asia reported delays and cancellations affecting services travelling to and from the United States. Duffy warned that the ripple effects could continue for days as airlines worked through the backlog of stranded passengers and repositioned aircraft.
While officials dealt with the operational fallout, an unusual theory began circulating on social media. Some users speculated that the ground stop could be connected to an alleged UFO sighting over South America.
One user questioned the timing directly, asking: “Is that why they would suspend flights in the US? Just asking.”
Others offered alternative explanations. One person suggested something similar had happened in Querétaro, Mexico, although they admitted they hadn’t personally witnessed anything. Another commenter took a more tongue-in-cheek approach, joking that Elon Musk had been flying around in his spaceship with a laser beam.
Despite the online speculation, officials have not linked the ground stop to extraterrestrial activity. There is no evidence that a UFO sighting had anything to do with the FAA’s decision to suspend flights. The official explanation remains the telecommunications outage affecting critical air traffic control systems.
The incident highlighted ongoing concerns about the vulnerability of US aviation infrastructure. Duffy’s reference to ageing systems underscored long-standing questions about modernisation funding for the nation’s air traffic control network.
Airlines continued attempting to restore normal schedules throughout the weekend following the nationwide halt.