FAA halts US flights after communications system failure
Summarised from 2 outlets · 4 reports · Updated 14 Nov, 18:01 · Archive
The Federal Aviation Administration halted all domestic US flights Friday afternoon due to communications problems at regional air traffic control centres.
The Federal Aviation Administration halted all domestic US flights on Friday afternoon after communications problems affected regional air traffic control centres. The ground stop lasted four hours and was lifted at 8:15 p.m. when Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced the airspace was reopened.
Duffy said the outage was caused by an overload of an old, analog system. An estimated 1.5 million passengers were affected. Federal officials are calling on Congress to modernise air traffic control.
Airports nationwide experienced significant disruption. At Columbia Metropolitan Airport, flights to Atlanta, Chicago and Virginia were among those impacted. The University of South Carolina football team left about an hour earlier than planned, though the first flight of USC Band students made it to Arkansas. The second flight was cancelled, with students and staff returning from Charlotte to Columbia instead. At Charleston International Airport, long lines formed as airlines worked through cancellations and delays.
Stranded passengers described the impact. One traveller said he had been waiting four hours at Columbia Airport, though he understood safety came first. At Charleston, another passenger said his trip home would now take four days, waiting in Miami for three days. The FAA said US air travel should recover by the end of Sunday. Airlines are not required to provide additional compensation for disruptions outside their control.
How it is being reported
- Airlines work through cancellations, delays after nationwide ground stopAirports nationwide, including Charleston International Airport, have long lines as airlines work through cancellations and delays caused by the nationwide disruption.Live5News · 14 Nov, 17:38
- ‘I am fortunate’: Columbia man says he was on flight as FAA ground stop was orderedA Columbia man described his experience of being in the air as the Federal Aviation Administration grounded all domestic flights on Friday.WISTV · 14 Nov, 00:20
- FAA’s nationwide ground stop affects Columbia Metropolitan AirportThe nationwide ground stop’s impact has passed on to the Midlands, with the Columbia Metropolitan Airport seeing flight delays of their own.WISTV · 13 Nov, 22:42
- CAE complies with FAA nationwide ground stopThe nationwide ground stop’s impact has passed on to the Midlands, with the Columbia Metropolitan Airport seeing flight delays of their own.WISTV · 13 Nov, 22:21
In this story: Federal Aviation Administration · Sean Duffy · Columbia Metropolitan Airport · Charleston International Airport · University of South Carolina
This summary was written by AI from the headlines and standfirsts above, and states as fact only what at least two outlets report. How we use AI · Report a problem · Corrections log
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