U.S. Transportation Secretary Calls for $50 Billion to Modernize Air Traffic Control System

New Delhi, November 14 (Daily Kiran) : A nationwide disruption of air travel in the United States has affected thousands of passengers, prompting Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy to request an additional $50 billion from Congress for the modernization of the air traffic control system.

During a late-night press briefing, Duffy explained that outdated communication equipment in air traffic control centers faced excessive strain, leading to inconsistencies in radar and communication data. However, officials did not clarify the exact cause of the technical failure.

By Friday evening, the nationwide flight halt was lifted, but Duffy cautioned that services would not return to normal immediately. Airlines must ensure that pilots and cabin crew are available for operations, and some travelers may have to wait until the following day to reach their destinations.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) command center issued a notice to lift the nationwide flight ban at 8:19 PM local time on Friday. Duffy noted that the disruption began around 3:36 PM when radar and communication systems in air traffic control centers and terminal radar approach control (TRACON) facilities became unstable.

At the time of the issue, over 3,500 aircraft were in the air. Air traffic controllers and pilots adhered to safety protocols to land the planes safely. Duffy clarified that while the radar and communication systems experienced difficulties, they were not completely non-operational.

Emergency medical services, organ transport, and law enforcement flights were allowed to continue during the disruption. Meanwhile, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas stated that initial investigations found no evidence of a cyberattack. However, investigations are ongoing, and no possibilities have been ruled out. He also emphasized that the incident was unrelated to a separate technical issue at Microsoft.

Duffy initially attributed the problem to old switches and routers used for telecommunications data exchange, stating that new equipment had not encountered such failures. Authorities managed to reduce the pressure on the system and bring affected centers back online.

When asked if the disruption was caused by any system patching by the FAA, Duffy denied this but acknowledged that the investigation is still underway, and he did not wish to provide information that could later be proven incorrect.

He noted that Congress had already approved $12.5 billion for air traffic control system modernization, but additional funds are necessary to complete the extensive overhaul. The request for $50 billion is still a proposal and has not yet been approved by Congress.

Duffy warned that replacing outdated technology would take time, and until the current equipment is fully replaced, the risk of technical failures will persist. He expressed hope that air travel services would operate normally by the busy Thanksgiving travel season.

Travelers are advised to check with their airlines for the latest flight status as companies work to normalize operations following the disruption.