The FAA has lifted a nationwide ground stop following a major telecommunications outage that caused mass flight disruptions. Officials attributed the technical failure to aging infrastructure, renewing calls for a comprehensive system overhaul.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has lifted the nationwide ground stop imposed across airports in the United States following a telecommunications outage that disrupted air traffic control operations, triggering thousands of flight delays and cancellations. US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, addressing reporters during a press briefing, attributed the technical failure to ageing telecommunications infrastructure and called on Congress to provide funds for a comprehensive overhaul of the country’s air traffic control system.
Duffy said the disruption began at approximately 3:36 pm (local time), when radar and communication systems at air traffic control centres and Terminal Radar Approach Control (TRACON) facilities across the country experienced instability, prompting authorities to ground flights as a precautionary measure.