US aviation shutdown blamed on L3 Harris installed router

A massive, nearly five-hour shutdown of the US aviation system has disrupted more than 20,000 flights since Friday, according to government officials. The incident may have been caused by a single router installed by government contractor L3Harris, officials said on Saturday. This is the latest example of the challenges faced by the aging US air traffic control telecommunications system, which has previously failed due to issues such as fiber cuts, accidental file deletion, and a chemical smell from a melted component.

The system's reliability remains a concern, with officials stating that it will fail again until it undergoes proper upgrades. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy emphasized that the FAA system did not meet the moment, particularly noting that L3Harris was conducting routine maintenance on Friday to switch telecommunication lines from old copper wire to fiber at remote locations.

Officials are currently working to determine whether the problem stemmed from routers installed in Arkansas or Texas, and they are actively investigating the incident to determine the root cause.