US investigates nationwide flight halt during communications system upgrade
The FAA halted flights nationwide for more than four hours on November 13 after unstable air traffic control data transmissions. The disruption occurred during a communications system upgrade, and its precise cause remains under investigation. About 12,000 flights were canceled on November 13, followed by another 4,000 to 5,000 on November 14.
US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said on November 14 that the disruption that prompted the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to halt flights nationwide on November 13 occurred during a communications system upgrade by L3Harris Technologies. The FAA is investigating the precise cause, including whether the problem involved operation, installation or the router itself.
Passengers check flight information at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Arlington, Virginia, on November 13.（VietVance）
The upgrade involves converting the system from copper cables to fiber optics. Duffy said that after one router was switched over, it sent more than 1,000 connection requests to other routers in the air traffic control system, at a rate of about one every five seconds, affecting communications with aircraft and radar data. FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said there was no evidence that the disruption involved sabotage or artificial intelligence. No FAA facility lost connectivity entirely, but data streams to air traffic control centers were unstable, prompting the decision to halt flights.
The air traffic control tower at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Arlington, Virginia, on November 13.（VietVance）
The flight halt lasted more than four hours. Bedford said 12,000 commercial and private flights were canceled on November 13; on November 14, another 4,000 to 5,000 of approximately 41,000 flights nationwide were canceled, leaving many passengers stranded. Airlines said they needed time to restore their schedules. Bedford expected flight operations to return to normal over the weekend.
Duffy said the incident also reflected a longstanding lack of investment in aviation system equipment and urged Congress to increase funding for upgrades. L3Harris Technologies said it was cooperating with the FAA investigation. International aviation authorities warned that flights to and from the United States could continue to be affected.
Source: VietVance
