US ground stop for four hours after air traffic control glitch
A communication network error involving outdated equipment caused nationwide flight disruptions on Friday, according to the Times of India.
A communication glitch in the network connecting US air traffic control centres caused a nationwide ground stop for more than four hours on Friday, the Times of India reported. The disruption affected communication with airplanes and caused issues with radar feeds.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said a contractor was replacing old copper wiring with fibre-optic cables at a remote location on Friday afternoon. This work coincided with over 1,000 connection attempts every 4 to 5 seconds, which put pressure on the system. Duffy stated that the airspace was shut down because safety is paramount.
Michael McCormick, a former airspace manager with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), described the incident as a rolling outage. He said the problem is unpredictable and can move between different centres rather than remaining in one location.
The FAA operates 22 regional air traffic control centres across the US. These centres manage aircraft once they cross altitudes of 10,000 feet. The process involves airport control towers, Terminal Radar Approach Control centres, and regional centres.
Congress approved $12.5 billion last year for an overhaul of the air traffic control infrastructure, which includes replacing copper wires with fibre-optic lines. Duffy urged Congress to allocate more funds for the upgrade during news conferences on Friday and Saturday.
Although the grounding order was lifted late on Friday, airlines require a few days to return to normal operations. Several flights were diverted during the disruption, though aircraft already in the air landed safely by following established procedures, according to Duffy.
