SAEDNEWS: Thousands of flights were cancelled or delayed across the United States and Canada on Friday after a communications failure in the US air traffic control system forced all aircraft to remain grounded nationwide for nearly four and a half hours.
According to Saednews, The unprecedented nationwide suspension of US flights, only the second such incident since the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, was caused by technical problems involving the country's aging air traffic control infrastructure. US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the system became overwhelmed following recent technology upgrades.
The disruption began at 3:36 p.m. ET, when the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) encountered telecommunications failures. These included intermittent radar outages at regional air traffic control centers responsible for managing high-altitude flights, as well as communication problems with certain aircraft.
At 3:53 p.m. ET, the FAA ordered a nationwide ground stop, despite more than 3,500 aircraft already being airborne and approaching airports across the United States.
As the shutdown continued, planes gradually landed or were redirected to alternative airports, bringing the number of aircraft still in the air down to around 400.
The FAA lifted the nationwide restriction at 8:15 p.m. ET, permitting flights to resume. However, Duffy cautioned that returning to normal operations would require additional time.
According to FlightAware, a flight-tracking platform, the disruption had resulted in approximately 6,700 cancelled flights and another 8,600 delayed flights.
The incident also disrupted travel for Canadian passengers and airlines, as many flights connecting Canada with other international destinations travel through US airspace.
Airlines encountered further difficulties as they worked to relocate diverted aircraft, address crew scheduling problems and assist passengers stranded at airports. The recovery process was expected to take several days.
Passengers experiencing cancellations or delays were encouraged to contact their airlines for the latest flight information and alternative booking arrangements.
Speaking at a White House briefing at 8:30 p.m. ET, Duffy attributed the incident to outdated air traffic control infrastructure that had been unable to cope with the demands placed on it following recent technological improvements.
"We have an extremely outdated air traffic control system," he said, explaining that communication links with aircraft and radar information had become unstable across the FAA's 22 regional centers responsible for managing flights at higher altitudes.
Duffy described the system as outdated and vulnerable, explaining that it had experienced a widespread failure after becoming overloaded.
He also expressed concern about the possibility of future disruptions, warning that the existing infrastructure could continue to experience failures.
The transportation secretary added that investigators had found no evidence of a cyberattack, although the possibility had not been completely ruled out.
Highlighting the urgent need to modernize the country's aviation infrastructure, Duffy called on Congress to approve funding for a comprehensive replacement and upgrade of the national air traffic control network.
Friday's incident marked the third major nationwide disruption to US air traffic operations over the past 25 years.
The first occurred following the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, when the FAA shut down American airspace for two days. A second major incident took place on January 11, 2023, when a communications system failure forced the suspension of domestic flight departures for approximately 90 minutes.
