US lifts nationwide flight shutdown caused by communications failure
AAL•The FAA lifted a nationwide ground stop after a communications failure at air traffic control centers halted flights for more than four hours. More than 4,700 flights were canceled and 10,000 delayed on Friday, while another 700 had already been canceled for Saturday.
1. Flights resume after outage
The FAA lifted a nationwide ground stop on Friday after a communications failure at air traffic control centers caused airport disruption. The shutdown lasted more than four hours, and aviation analysts said it could take days for airlines to restore their schedules.
2. Thousands of flights affected
More than 4,700 flights were canceled and 10,000 delayed on Friday, while another 700 had already been canceled for Saturday, FlightRadar24 said. The Department of Homeland Security said there were no signs the outage was caused by a cyberattack.
3. Strain on air traffic system
The failure was the latest sign of strain on a US air traffic control system facing equipment and communications problems, controller shortages and aging infrastructure. The only other nationwide ground stop since the September 11 attacks came in January 2023, when the FAA halted domestic departures for around 90 minutes.
