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US flights halted nationwide after FAA communications outage
The FAA ordered a nationwide ground stop after a telecommunications outage disrupted air traffic control, suspending departures across the United States. The disruption caused widespread delays and cancellations, while aircraft already in the air were allowed to continue to their destinations.
CBS News reported that a software update to a private network linking air traffic control facilities caused the system to reboot and crash. FlightAware recorded more than 10,000 delays and over 2,000 cancellations; Flightradar24 said about 1,000 flights were heading to US airports, nearly 80 per cent fewer than a week earlier. The last nationwide ground stop was in January 2023, following an FAA computer system malfunction.
In short
- FAA halted US departures after an air traffic control communications outage.
- More than 10,000 flights were delayed and over 2,000 cancelled.
- Airlines and aviation authorities warned travellers to check for updates.