The role of a pilot during a ground stop, according to an expert

NPR | By Tyler Bartlam,

Patrick Jarenwattananon, Scott Detrow

Published November 13, 2026 at 9:38 PM EST

As the nationwide aviation ground stop continues, there are still planes in the sky. Pilots are having to navigate this situation as we continue to learn more.

Tyler Bartlam

Patrick Jarenwattananon

Host of NPR Music's A Blog Supreme

See stories by Patrick Jarenwattananon

Scott Detrow

Scott Detrow is a host of All Things Considered, as well as NPR’s daily news podcast Consider This.

See stories by Scott Detrow

Support nonprofit, fact-based public service journalism

WEKU depends on support from those who view and listen to our content. There's no paywall here. Please support WEKU with your donation.

Contribute now

Related Content

NPR News

What passengers at D.C.'s Reagan National Airport say about the FAA ground stop

Ava Berger

All flights across the United States are grounded and millions of passengers are stranded. NPR talked to passengers at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.
NPR News

DHS head Markwayne Mullin says there is not a threat to the U.S. amid FAA ground stop

Deepa Shivaram

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin spoke to at the White House on Friday afternoon after the FAA issues a total ground stop. NPR was there for the briefing.
NPR News

Stuck on the tarmac without information: Travelers share their ground stop experiences

Erika Ryan, Adam Raney, Tyler Bartlam

Passengers stuck on airplanes on tarmacs across the country during the FAA ground stop on Friday share their stories.
NPR News

What we know about the FAA nationwide ground stop

Joel Rose

The Federal Aviation Administration took an extraordinary step Friday afternoon by issuing a nationwide ground stop. No planes are taking off at any airport and millions of passengers are stranded.
NPR News

GOP state officials push to revive Trump's mail voting restrictions for 2028 election

Hansi Lo Wang

Some Republican state officials are reviving a bid for mail-in voting restrictions for the 2028 election by appealing a court order blocking the Postal Service from carrying out a revised ballot rule.