FAA halts departures nationwide after communications outage at air traffic control centers

The Federal Aviation Administration stopped flights from taking off at airports across the United States on Friday afternoon after a communications failure hit the regional centers that guide planes between airports, according to reports from OPB, CBS Philadelphia, WCAX and WABI.

An FAA notice cited extraordinary circumstances and safety concerns for the ground stop, OPB reported in a story shared with the Associated Press. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the problem affected the air route traffic control centers and that FAA technicians were investigating. OPB put the number of affected centers at 22.

Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said there was so far no sign of a deliberate attack. CBS Philadelphia quoted him as saying, "It was just a telecommunication outage, as of right now." OPB reported slightly different wording. OPB also said Mullin told the public there was no reason to worry about relatives who were flying.

According to OPB, Mullin said investigators would examine whether the outage was connected to the FAA's nationwide rollout of a new artificial intelligence system for spotting problems and rerouting planes. OPB noted that the system runs from a single site near Washington, D.C., and only sends recommendations to the centers. No timeline for resuming departures had been given, OPB reported.

OPB said this was the first nationwide ground stop since January 2023, when a key FAA computer system failed, and that the previous one before that followed the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. Aviation analyst Henry Harteveldt told CBS News that planes already in the air could still land at their destinations, WCAX reported.

Reports differed on inbound traffic. OPB said incoming flights were still landing at Portland International Airport in Oregon, and WABI said flights headed to Bangor, Maine, were continuing. But WABI, citing partner station WMTW, reported that inbound flights to Maine's Portland International Jetport were being held at their origin airports.

At Philadelphia International Airport, FlightAware data showed 304 delays and 22 cancellations as of 5 p.m., CBS Philadelphia reported. In Bangor, two airliners were stuck at gates, WABI said.

Aviation safety expert Steve Arroyo, a former United Airlines pilot, told OPB the outage resembled a regional communications failure in September that disrupted hundreds of Northeast flights, and that it may be tied to aging equipment. OPB reported that Congress approved $12.5 billion last year to modernize air traffic control technology, and that Duffy has said another $30 billion will be needed.

Airports advised travelers to check with their airlines for updates.

Compiled by True News from reporting by OPB, WCAX, CBS Philadelphia and WABI. Each outlet's original story is linked below.

Originally published by True News: https://truenews.bagleyenterprises.net/stories/1040