Flight operations at US airports returned to normal after 4 hours.

BanglaPress Desk: All aircraft takeoffs across the United States were suspended for over four hours due to a failure in the communication systems of air traffic control centers. The incident occurred on the afternoon of Friday, November 13.

According to the American news outlet CNN, following the communication system failure, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)—the federal authority overseeing civil aviation—issued an order to halt flights at all airports across the country around 4:00 PM local time on Friday. The FAA lifted the suspension at 8:15 PM.

Officials from the U.S. Department of Transportation stated that the situation was caused by a failure in the telecommunication systems of air traffic control centers, compounded by data overload on aging network routers.

This marks only the second time such a situation has occurred in U.S. history; the first instance took place 25 years ago, in the aftermath of the September 11 (9/11) attacks in 2001.

Data from the flight-tracking service FlightAware indicates that the disruption caused widespread chaos at airports, forcing airlines to cancel over 1,000 flights and delay approximately 10,000 others. While aircraft already in the air were permitted to land, no planes on the ground were allowed to take off. The disruption quickly extended beyond U.S. borders, leading to flight cancellations in Canada and Europe as well.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security stated that there is no indication of a cyberattack behind the disruption.

Speaking to reporters outside the White House, Markwayne Mullin stated, “We have seen no evidence to suggest that this was a malicious attack directed at us. For now, it appears to be purely a telecommunication failure. The President has been briefed on the matter.” “There is no reason for the public to panic or be concerned about their loved ones. This is in no way an event comparable to September 11.”

The U.S. Secretary of Transportation also stated that all potential causes for the disruption—including issues related to a new artificial intelligence (AI)-powered air traffic control system—are being investigated.

This crisis serves as the latest and most significant example of the mounting pressure on the U.S. air traffic control system. The system is currently beleaguered by a host of challenges, including equipment and communication failures, a shortage of air traffic controllers, and aging infrastructure.

Notably, a large portion of the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) air traffic control technology is decades old. Last week, the agency announced that by the end of 2028, it would phase out the use of floppy disks—currently employed to relay weather and other critical data to over 400 facilities nationwide.

Following the FAA’s flight suspension on Friday, airports—from Boston to Seattle and New York to Los Angeles—saw crowds of passengers gathering in departure halls and at airline service desks. Departure boards displayed a succession of flight delays and cancellations, while aircraft were left stranded near their gates.

47-year-old Lewis Maher, who was waiting to travel from Newark to London on Friday night, remarked, “I might cry at any moment—though I haven’t yet.” Despite warnings that his British Airways flight could be delayed due to air traffic control constraints, he had not yet given up hope of making the trip.

As a result of the gridlock, many aircraft arriving at airports became trapped on the taxiways, as all available gates were already occupied. Source: Reuters