US flights resume after nationwide ground stop: What travellers need to know
Officials have assured passengers that US airspace is safe and operational after a nationwide ground stop, initiated as a precaution, caused massive disruptions to air travel. The longest flight stoppage in 25 years, lasting more than four hours, ended at around 8.15pm ET on Friday, allowing some domestic flights to take off from US airports. Of the 41,000 flights scheduled for Saturday, the…
A nationwide ground stop initiated as a precautionary measure, lasted over four hours and disrupted air travel across the United States. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) assured passengers that US airspace remained safe and operational following the ground stop. The longest flight stoppage in 25 years, 41,000 flights scheduled for Saturday were expected to see around 5,000 cancellations.
FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford stated that the air traffic control system was operational and expected full recovery by the end of Sunday. Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin confirmed no indication of a cyberattack, and no lives were at risk. The cause of the ground stop was traced to a contractor replacing copper wiring with fibre-optic cables, which overran the system causing intermittent disruptions to communications and radar feeds.
Aviation experts warned that it could take days for airlines to return to normal operations due to the complex interdependencies in the US air traffic control network.
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Also reported by 1 other outlet
- Flights resume with disruptions after US lifts nationwide ground stop qatar-tribune.com
