WASHINGTON DC: The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has ordered a nationwide ground stop for all departing flights following a major telecommunications outage that disrupted air traffic control communications, citing extraordinary circumstances and safety concerns.
The disruption, which reportedly originated from a network router problem that spread across the country, forced the suspension of departures at airports nationwide. An airline source told CNN that the technical issue involved network routers and had cascading effects on communications systems.
Flights already in the air were allowed to land, while aircraft on the ground were prohibited from taking off. International flights were to be handled on a case-by-case basis.
US Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said all flights had been accounted for and urged the public not to panic. He added that there was no indication the disruption was the result of a deliberate attack, describing it as a telecommunications outage.
Mullin said there was no known security threat behind the incident and that preliminary information did not suggest a cyberattack. He also clarified that the disruption was unrelated to the Microsoft outage reported earlier in the week.
However, authorities had not established a timeline for restoring normal operations. Mullin warned that resolving the problem could take an extended period.
The nationwide ground stop followed an earlier suspension of air traffic operations in Chicago due to communications problems. Thousands of flights were subsequently delayed or cancelled as the disruption continued, leaving airlines and passengers scrambling to adjust their travel arrangements.
Friday’s order marked the second nationwide suspension of all departing flights in the United States since the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
President Donald Trump was briefed on the situation, according to reports. Authorities continued to assess the technical disruption and its impact on the country’s aviation network.
(Inputs from CNN/Reuters)
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