# US: Duffy says ‘incompetence’ or bad tech to blame for flight haltings

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/us-duffy-says-incompetence-or-bad-tech-to-blame-for-flight-haltings/
- Published: 2026-11-14T20:33:00+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-14T21:27:36+00:00
- Original publisher: DW (publisher lean: Centre)
- Original article: https://www.dw.com/en/us-duffy-says-incompetence-or-bad-tech-to-blame-for-flight-haltings/a-79949977?maca=en-rss-en-all-1573-rdf
- Topics: Americas, Culture, Travel, World

## Key points

- About 16,000 flights were disrupted in the US.
- Officials are investigating possible equipment or contractor errors.
- The FAA says passengers will be rebooked or refunded.

## Summary

US airlines cancelled or delayed about 16,000 flights over 24 hours after the Federal Aviation Administration ordered a widespread grounding, the largest disruption since the September 11 attacks. Officials said the cause remains under investigation, with Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy citing possible technical failure or contractor error and saying there was no evidence of deliberate wrongdoing.

The disruption stranded passengers, affected international services and led to the rescheduling of sporting events. The FAA said it hoped schedules would return to normal by Sunday and that passengers would be rebooked or refunded. The suspected fault may relate to a router or system overload during work to replace ageing copper wiring; Congress has approved $12.5 billion for infrastructure upgrades, while airlines’ shares fell amid concerns about losses.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.