Maintenance gone awry caused nation-wide ground stop, says Transportation Secretary

NPR | By Joel Rose,

Rob Schmitz

Published November 14, 2026 at 4:48 PM CST

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy points blame toward contractor in explaining Friday's nation-wide aviation ground stop.

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All Things Considered

Joel Rose

Joel Rose is a correspondent on NPR's National Desk. As the network’s transportation correspondent since 2023, Rose’s reporting focuses on roadway and pedestrian safety, an air travel system under stress and how emerging technologies are changing the ways we get around.

See stories by Joel Rose

Rob Schmitz

Rob Schmitz is NPR's international correspondent based in Berlin.

See stories by Rob Schmitz

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