US grounds all departing flights due to air traffic control issues
The Federal Aviation Administration issued a nationwide ground stop on Friday citing safety reasons and communication problems.
The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ordered a nationwide ground stop for all departing flights on Friday due to air traffic control communications issues. According to reports from The Indian Express, The Times of India and The Economic Times, the agency cited extraordinary circumstances and safety reasons for the decision.
US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the communication problem affected all 22 regional air traffic control centres responsible for directing aircraft across the country. While flights already in the air may land, the FAA directed that all departing traffic remain grounded until further notice. International flights will be managed on a case-by-case basis.
US Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin stated there is no indication that the outage was a nefarious or deliberate attack. Mullin said the situation was a telecommunications outage and that passengers' loved ones were safe. Investigators will also examine if the outage is linked to the rollout of a new artificial intelligence system used to identify problems and suggest alternative routes.
The disruption follows previous nationwide ground stops in January 2023 and after the September 11, 2001, attacks. Last year, Congress approved $12.5 billion to modernise the ageing communications infrastructure, including replacing copper wires with fibre-optic lines.
Transportation Secretary Duffy said an additional $30.1 billion is required to complete the modernisation work. The White House and the FAA have asked Congress to approve this funding to address remaining issues.
