The United States has lifted a nationwide ban on aircraft takeoffs imposed due to a massive outage in the air traffic control system. The restrictions were in effect for about five hours and caused widespread flight delays and cancellations. This was reported by U.S. media, according to UNN.
Details
The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) allowed takeoffs to resume after disruptions to telecommunications infrastructure affected air traffic control centers across the country.
According to media reports, the massive outage led to the cancellation of about 4,700 flights, while approximately 10,000 more were delayed. Air traffic is gradually returning to normal, as airports need to handle the backlog of aircraft and passengers.
Airports experienced transport chaos
According to CNN, Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport near Washington ran out of available aircraft parking spaces due to the mass suspension of flights.
Similar problems arose at other major U.S. airports. Aircraft that were already in the air were allowed to land, but new takeoffs were temporarily prohibited for safety reasons.
According to Reuters, this was only the second nationwide suspension of takeoffs in the United States since the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
U.S. authorities continue to determine the cause of the technical failure. U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin said there are currently no signs of a deliberate attack.
Despite the lifting of the restrictions, the consequences of the massive outage may affect flight schedules throughout the weekend.