US transport chief says delays and cancellations will continue after air traffic halt

WASHINGTON — US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy seeks to assure Americans it remains “safe to fly” after an hours-long ground stop, but warns of more flight cancellations as airlines grapple with thousands of stranded passengers.

“You will continue to see some delays and cancellations as carriers reschedule flights and reposition aircraft/crews where they are needed most,” Duffy posts on X some 12 hours after a rare nationwide halt to all commercial air traffic plunged US air travel into chaos.

Here’s the latest:

Operations are slowly returning to normal this morning. Planes are pushing back, taxiing, and taking off, and it is safe to fly.

We are in close coordination with the airlines to support the ongoing recovery.

You will continue to see some delays and…

— Secretary Sean Duffy (@SecDuffy) November 14, 2026