From The New York Times · · 2m
Nationwide Air Travel Ground Stop
Federal communications failure halts flights across US for hours.
In brief
Federal communications failure halts flights across US for hours. US air traffic control system failure caused by contractor upgrade led to nationwide ground stop with 3,900 flights canceled Saturday. Originally reported by The New York Times.
Ground Stop Trigger
Federal officials said the cascading communications failures that forced the government to shut down flights across the United States on Friday started with a contractor upgrading air traffic control equipment.
Contractor Upgrade
L3Harris, a federal contractor, was upgrading air traffic control equipment by replacing copper wire with fiber optic cable.
Ground Stop Decision
The Federal Aviation Administration issued a rare nationwide ground stop for several hours after communications failures spread across air traffic facilities.
Transportation Secretary
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the specific problem with the upgrade was not yet known but would hold people accountable.
F.A.A. Administrator
F.A.A. Administrator Bryan Bedford said there was no evidence the communication problems stemmed from cyberattack or artificial intelligence.
System Recovery
Bedford expected the system to be back to normal by Sunday night, saying the worst was behind them.
Flight Cancellations
At least 3,000 flights scheduled for Saturday were canceled according to aviation data firm Cirium.
Chicago Ground Stop
Chicago O’Hare International Airport issued a ground stop for United Airlines flights.
Funding Request
Duffy called on lawmakers to fully fund upgrades needed to prevent similar failures, requesting another $50 billion from Congress.
Traveler Impact
Travelers across the United States spent Friday night sleeping in airport hallways after the Federal Aviation Administration halted all flights earlier in the day.
Passenger Experience
Jasmine Harp, a passenger at Kennedy International Airport, described being without sleep for 20 hours after her flight was canceled.
Airport Strain
At Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, travelers slept in airport hallways with luggage as pillows.
System Vulnerability
The air traffic control system’s routers were mostly manufactured in 2001 and out of service by 2006.
Contractor Status
L3Harris said they had completed more than 70 percent of the planned airspace communications conversion from copper to fiber optic cable.
System Recovery Timeline
The F.A.A. expected the system to be back to normal by Sunday night after the ground stop ended Friday evening.
Traveler Impact
Over 3,900 flights, or about 17 percent of total departures scheduled for Saturday, were canceled nationwide.
The short version
US air traffic control system failure caused by contractor upgrade led to nationwide ground stop with 3,900 flights canceled Saturday.
