Communication Failure Disrupts Air Traffic in the U.S., Officials Investigate Cause

Washington, November 14 (Daily Kiran) : A technical failure in the communication systems between regional air traffic control centers has caused significant disruptions to flight services across the United States. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced a nationwide halt to flight operations, citing safety concerns. U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy stated that efforts are underway to identify the cause of the disruption.

During a press briefing, Secretary Duffy and Homeland Security Secretary Markwen Mullin dismissed the possibility of a cyberattack, emphasizing that the situation constitutes a national emergency. Duffy confirmed that while the airspace remains open, understanding and resolving the issue will take some time.

Addressing reporters in the White House briefing room, Duffy indicated that the federal government had identified the problem responsible for the shutdown of the U.S. air traffic control system. He assured that the system is now operational.

According to official statements, the decision to ground flights nationwide was made on Friday afternoon due to extraordinary circumstances and safety concerns. Duffy confirmed the situation through a post on social media platform X, stating that FAA technicians are investigating the issue.

Prior to this, the FAA had issued an advisory ordering a nationwide ground stop, citing extraordinary circumstances and safety concerns as the reasons behind the decision. Such a measure is considered highly unusual and rare.

The advisory instructed airlines and operators to halt all departing flights until further notice. It specified that all outbound flights should remain grounded until new directives are issued, although decisions regarding incoming international flights would be made on a case-by-case basis.

This marks the first nationwide flight grounding order since January 2023, when a significant computer system failure at the FAA disrupted air operations across the country. The last nationwide flight halt occurred after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

Secretary Mullin noted that there are no initial signs indicating that the communication failure resulted from a planned attack. He clarified that it was not a malicious assault against the U.S. but rather a telecommunications failure, with no evidence of any nefarious activity detected so far.

Meanwhile, several airlines reassured passengers via social media that operations would continue for flights already in the air. United Airlines announced that its domestic flights would not depart while the communication system remains affected, with decisions regarding international flights being made separately by the FAA.

American Airlines warned passengers that the nationwide grounding could cause significant delays throughout the day. The airline stated that its team is ready to assist passengers in reaching their destinations as quickly as possible once the FAA lifts the ground stop.

According to FAA notifications, the grounding of flights is expected to remain in effect until 11 PM Eastern Time on Friday.