Flights between the United States and Japan face possible delays and cancellations over the weekend after a major failure of America's air traffic control communications system forced authorities to temporarily suspend departures nationwide on November 13, disrupting thousands of flights and leaving airlines struggling to restore normal operations.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ordered a nationwide ground stop at 3:54 p.m. Eastern Time on Friday, equivalent to 5:54 a.m. Saturday in Japan, after communications problems affected air traffic control centers across the United States. The emergency restrictions remained in place for more than four hours before US airspace reopened at 8:15 p.m. Eastern Time, or 10:15 a.m. Japan time on November 14.
More than 4,700 flights were canceled and around 10,000 delayed on Friday, with hundreds of additional cancellations already reported for Saturday, according to flight-tracking data. Aviation analysts warned that restoring normal schedules could take several days, as airlines faced the complicated task of repositioning aircraft and flight crews stranded at airports across the country.
The disruption has raised concerns for passengers traveling between Japan and major US gateways, including Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Chicago and New York. Direct flights serving Tokyo's Haneda and Narita airports, as well as other Japanese destinations, could face delays or cancellations as airlines reorganize their international operations.
Haneda Airport issued an advisory on November 14 confirming that the US air traffic control malfunction was affecting some flights between Japan and the United States. Airport officials urged passengers to check directly with their airlines for the latest information.
Although the FAA's nationwide restrictions have been lifted, the effects are expected to continue beyond the initial shutdown. Long-haul international services are particularly vulnerable to scheduling problems because aircraft must be available at the correct departure airports, while pilots and cabin crews are subject to mandatory limits on working hours and minimum rest periods.
Japan Airlines (JAL) confirmed at 8:45 a.m. on November 14 that the US air traffic control failure had disrupted some of its international services. The airline advised passengers to check individual flight information for updated departure and arrival times, although it did not provide a comprehensive breakdown of affected routes or cancellations.
US carrier Delta Air Lines has also introduced special arrangements for passengers affected by the outage, covering travel to, from and through the United States on November 13 and 14. Eligible passengers can rebook flights without additional charges, subject to specified conditions, with replacement travel generally required by November 21.
The disruption could also affect travelers connecting through US airports on their way to Japan. Passengers flying from cities without direct services to Japan often depend on domestic connections through major hubs, meaning the cancellation of an initial flight could result in missed international departures even when the trans-Pacific service itself remains operational.
The FAA's shutdown prevented aircraft from taking off at airports across the United States, although planes already airborne were generally permitted to continue to their destinations. International flights were handled individually during the restrictions, with some departures allowed to proceed.
US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the failure involved the FAA's aging communications network, with overloaded switches and routers causing parts of the system to fail. Officials were continuing to investigate what triggered the overload, while the Department of Homeland Security said there was no indication that the incident had resulted from a cyberattack.
The failure has renewed scrutiny of the reliability of America's air traffic control infrastructure, which has faced longstanding problems involving outdated equipment, staffing shortages and communications failures. Despite billions of dollars committed to modernization, concerns remain about the system's capacity to handle disruptions without widespread consequences for air travel.
For travelers between Japan and the United States, the immediate concern is how quickly airlines can restore their schedules and whether aircraft and crews will be available for departures over the coming days. Passengers scheduled to travel on November 14 and 15 are being advised to verify their flight status before heading to the airport, particularly when their journeys involve connections within the United States.
While the nationwide ground stop has ended, airline schedules remain vulnerable to further delays as the industry works through the backlog, with the full impact on services between Japan and the United States still emerging.
