FAA grounds all US flights due to 'telecommunication outage' — officials say ' no indication...that this was a nefarious attack,' but they can't rule out a cyberattack yet
The FAA called a ground stop on all US flights, which means no planes are taking off, and many are landing. There's no indication of a cyberattack, but the telecommunications system between air traffic control and pilots is not functioning at full capacity.
For the third time in 25 years, the FAA has halted all air traffic across the United States due to a telecommunications issue. US officials stated that the problem has impeded Air Traffic Control Centers' ability to communicate with planes in the air. Around 4:30PM ET, the FAA issued an urgent alert to pilots cautioning them of extraordinary circumstances and safety concerns, ordering all airports to be grounded.
While Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has not yet made a public statement, DHS Markwayne Mullin confirmed that the grounding is not a threat to the US, attributing it to a telecommunications outage. He did not specify the exact technology affected, but noted that there is no indication linking the grounding to the recent Microsoft Outlook outage.
The DHS official emphasized they are investigating the cause, always assuming the possibility of a cyberattack, but currently have no definitive evidence. The grounding follows the FAA's recent announcement of its AI-powered SMART system to more airports, though the rollout began in September. Aviation experts and online commentators suggest the issue may be a relatively simple communication problem between air traffic controllers. It remains unclear if air traffic control systems will fully resume normal operations soon.
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