US FAA System Outage HIGHLIGHTS: Over 6,700 Flights, 1,000 Cancelled
US FAA Crisis Live Updates: The FAA says that some functions are coming back online, and they are providing frequent updates as they progress.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg stated that there is currently no indication that Wednesday's air travel technology malfunction was caused by a cyberattack, but he also did not exclude the possibility.
“There’s been no direct evidence or indication of that, but we are also not going rule that out until we have a clear and better understanding of what’s taken place,” Buttigieg was quoted as saying by CNN.
He emphasized that the Transportation Department and Federal Aviation Administration will take responsibility for any failures on their part. He explained that the nationwide ground stop of departing flights was a precautionary measure to ensure passenger safety.
He stated that the FAA's priority is always to protect passengers and that the ground stop was implemented until it was confirmed that the system was functioning properly and delivering messages without issue.
Airports nationwide are experiencing a build-up of delays and cancellations due to an outage in the Federal Administration Aviation's Notice to Air Missions system.
According to flight-tracking site FlightAware, over 6,700 flights within, into, or from the US have been delayed thus far on Wednesday, with more than 1,000 cancellations. Passengers are being advised to check with their respective airlines for the latest flight status.
As many as 5,417 flights in the United States have been delayed and 908 flights have been cancelled, according to flight-tracking site FlightAware, due to a failure in the Federal Aviation Administration's Notice to Air Missions (NOTAM) system. Despite the agency lifting a ground stop earlier that morning, the number of cancellations and delays has continued to increase.
United Airlines informed passengers on Wednesday that despite the Federal Aviation Administration lifting the ground stop caused by a system outage, there may still be delays and cancellations.
They announced that they will provide a travel waiver and offer refunds to affected customers. The airline advised customers to check their individual flight information on the United app or website and stated that they will assist customers who need to alter their travel plans, including providing refunds for those who choose not to travel.
All flights currently in the sky have been cleared to land.
Flights in the US are no longer grounded as normal airports operations are resuming.
Departures have resumed at Newark and Atlanta airports, the FAA has said. It adds that the NOTAM safety alert system is being fixed and departures are expected to resume at other airports at 9 am Eastern Time.
The Federal Aviation Administration has ordered all airlines to halt departures from the US until 9 am ET (7.30 pm IST) after a system that provides pilots with pre-flight safety notices went offline.
The US has ruled a "cyberattack" behind the outage of the NOTAM system. US President Joe Biden was briefed by the Secretary of Transportation on the FAA system outage.
"There is no evidence of a cyberattack at this point, but the President directed DOT to conduct a full investigation into the causes," Karine Jean-Pierre, the White House Press Secretary said in a tweet.
US Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg is in touch with the FAA about the NOTAMs outage.
"I have been in touch with FAA this morning about an outage affecting a key system for providing safety information to pilots," Buttigieg said in a tweet.
Operations are normal at all airports in India. There is no impact on flights from India to the US as of now amid a glitch in the US Federal Aviation Administration's system, a senior DGCA official told ANI.
A total of 21,464 flights were scheduled to depart airports in the US today, according to aviation analytics firm Cirium.
A total of 21,464 flights were scheduled to depart airports in the US today, according to aviation analytics firm Cirium.
There could be a widespread disruption because of the NOTAMs outage as all aircraft, including military ones, are required to be routed through this system.
The FAA says "some functions are beginning to come back online" but added it would take time to resolve. An earlier advisory stated: "Technicians are currently working to restore the system and there is no estimate for restoration of the service at this time."
Background
US FAA Crisis Live Updates: A situation has developed in the US after it was reported that the Notice to Air Missions (NOTAM) system was impacted on Wednesday. The NOTAM system, which is operated by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and provides pilots with notices they need to read before flying, is currently experiencing a major outage.
This is impacting flights in the US, although the extent of the disruption is currently unclear as some airlines may be able to operate without the information provided by the system.
The FAA has stated that technicians are working to restore the system and that it will take time to resolve. The FAA says that some functions are coming back online, and they are providing frequent updates as they progress.
United Airlines said it has temporarily delayed all domestic flights.
American Airlines said it is "closely monitoring the situation, which impacts all airlines and working with the FAA to minimize disruption to our operation and customers" in a statement.
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