WASHINGTON — The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ordered a nationwide ground stop at US airports Friday following a telecommunications outage that disrupted air traffic control systems, delaying or canceling more than 10,000 flights.
US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the communication issue affected all Air Route Traffic Control Centers across the country, prompting the agency to suspend flights as technicians investigated the problem.
“FAA technicians are investigating the issue,” Duffy said, adding that the agency would provide updates as more information became available.
The FAA later confirmed that a temporary telecommunications outage had prompted the nationwide suspension as a precautionary measure.
“There has been a temporary telecommunications outage — out of an abundance of caution all flights have been halted,” the agency said.
“Every flight has been accounted for and international flights will be handled on a case-by-case basis,” it added.
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said authorities had found no evidence suggesting the disruption was caused by a deliberate attack, although investigators had not ruled out a cyberattack.
“There was no indication as of yet that this was a nefarious attack. It is just a telecommunication outage as of right now. Everybody’s safe,” Mullin told reporters.
He reassured the public that there was no immediate reason for concern about passengers aboard aircraft.
Asked whether authorities could definitively rule out a cyberattack, Mullin said, “We’re not ruling out anything.”
He explained that investigators were examining all possible causes, including potential cyber threats, but that the source of the disruption remained unknown.
CNN reported that the outages affected air traffic control radar systems and radio frequencies, citing an aviation source who said controllers had little clarity about the cause or full extent of the disruption.
More than 10,000 flights were delayed or canceled nationwide, according to flight-tracking website FlightAware.
Separately, Newsmax reported that the nationwide grounding followed the detection of an unexplained radar frequency malfunction affecting critical air traffic control systems.
Citing a senior federal official, the outlet said Duffy ordered the precautionary suspension because of concerns over systems used to manage aircraft arrivals, departures and flights across the country.
The disruption reportedly affected at least seven major airport areas, including Chicago’s O’Hare and Midway international airports.
Other affected airports included Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Washington Dulles International Airport, Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport and Richmond International Airport in Virginia.
Airports serving the New York metropolitan area were also reportedly affected.
Federal authorities continued investigating the outage, with no definitive cause immediately established.
Source: Saudi Gazette