Washington: Air traffic across the United States came to a complete standstill following a technical glitch in the communication system. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced a temporary nationwide halt to all flight operations (a ground stop). Over 7,000 flights have been affected by this crisis.
The FAA clarified that the suspension of services was caused by a communication outage impacting the Air Route Traffic Control Centers, which manage the country’s air traffic. Preliminary indications suggest that a technical issue with network routers led to the nationwide disruptions. What occurred was a “frequency outage,” where the radio communication system used by pilots to contact Air Traffic Control (ATC) officials failed.
Authorities have ruled out the possibility of a cyberattack behind the incident. However, U.S. Homeland Security Chief Markwayne Mullin told the media that a detailed investigation is underway to determine the exact cause of the technical failure.
The last time a nationwide ground stop was declared in the U.S. was in January 2023, which was caused by an outage in the pilot notification system. Prior to that, American air traffic was similarly brought to a complete halt following the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
