Flight operations at airports across the United States returned to normal after a nationwide grounding lasting more than four hours, triggered by a communications failure at air traffic control centres.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ordered all aircraft departures to be suspended at around 4pm local time on Friday, November 13, following disruptions to the communication systems used by air traffic control centres. The suspension was lifted at 8:15pm, according to CNN.
Officials at the US Department of Transportation said the disruption was caused by a failure in telecommunications systems at air traffic control facilities, compounded by data overload in ageing network routers.
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The incident caused widespread disruption across the aviation industry. According to flight-tracking service FlightAware, airlines were forced to cancel more than 1,000 flights, while nearly 10,000 others experienced delays.
Although thousands of aircraft already in the air were allowed to land, planes on the ground were temporarily barred from taking off.
The disruption also had repercussions beyond US borders, prompting flight cancellations in Canada and Europe.
The Department of Homeland Security said there was no indication that a cyberattack had caused the disruption.
Speaking to reporters outside the White House, Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said authorities had found no evidence of a deliberate attack targeting the United States.
“At this point, we have no indication that there was any malicious activity directed at us. For now, this appears to be a telecommunications disruption,” he said, adding that the president had been briefed.
Mullin also sought to reassure the public, saying there was no reason for people to panic or worry about their loved ones and stressing that the incident was in no way comparable to the September 11, 2001, attacks.
Authorities are investigating all possible causes of the disruption, including issues involving the country’s new artificial intelligence-powered air traffic control systems, the secretary said.
The incident has renewed concerns about mounting pressure on the US air traffic control network, which has been struggling with equipment and communication failures, staff shortages among air traffic controllers and ageing infrastructure.
It was the second time in US history that air traffic operations had been subjected to such a nationwide suspension. The previous instance occurred following the September 11 attacks in 2001.
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