US flights resume amid gradual return to normal operations
Summary
Flights resumed across the United States on Friday night after a nationwide ground stop lasted about four hours. Officials said telecommunications failures in aging air traffic control equipment caused the disruption and warned that normal operations would take time to return.Key Facts
- The Federal Aviation Administration lifted the ground stop at 8:15 p.m. Eastern Time on Friday.
- Nearly 6,000 flights were cancelled, including some international routes, according to FlightAware.
- The disruption left passengers stranded and planes waiting at gates and on taxiways.
- Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said air traffic control facilities had restored full functionality.
- Officials blamed the incident on telecommunications problems involving decades-old equipment.
- Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said there was no evidence of a cyberattack, an AI attack, or hostile action.
- Duffy asked Congress for $30.1 billion to upgrade and modernize the air traffic control system.
- The article describes the nationwide stop as only the second such alert in U.S. airspace since the September 11 attacks, following a 2023 stop caused by a pilot notification system failure.
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