US flights cancelled, delayed after air traffic control failure

On Sunday, thousands of flights across the United States were either cancelled or delayed due to a technical failure in the country's air traffic control system. Over 5,000 flights were delayed and about 2,000 cancelled, according to Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy. The disruption, which began on Friday, was caused by a faulty computer router installed as part of an upgrade from copper-wire to fibre-optic technology in El Dorado, Arkansas.

The router began transmitting faulty signals, flooding the network and disrupting communications within the air traffic control system. Despite efforts to return to normal operations, it was reported that it might not be fully restored until Monday. Some flights were forced to divert to other airports, while others continued to their destinations despite the delays.

The disruption affected not only domestic but also international travel, with some flights departing from the United Kingdom and Europe cancelled due to the knock-on effects on airline schedules. Aviation analyst Gilbert Ekugbe reported that the US air traffic control infrastructure has been neglected for decades, calling for significant investment to address longstanding problems.