The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has blamed a technical glitch during a system upgrade for America’s longest nationwide flight shutdown in 25 years. Transportation officials said maintenance work at a remote facility triggered communication problems, forcing authorities to suspend departures across the United States.
Contractor L3Harris was replacing ageing copper telephone lines with fibre connections when a router apparently began overwhelming network equipment. According to officials, the router generated more than 1,000 connection attempts every four to five seconds, disrupting critical communications.
The malfunction affected communication between air traffic controllers and pilots, while radar feeds also experienced intermittent disruptions during operations. Consequently, the FAA ordered a nationwide ground stop as a precaution to protect passengers and maintain aviation safety.
The shutdown forced airlines to suspend departures nationwide while aircraft already airborne continued safely towards their destinations. Authorities confirmed that thousands of aircraft landed safely, with officials reporting no injuries or immediate danger during the incident.
The nationwide flight shutdown lasted more than four hours before officials reopened American airspace at approximately 8:15 p.m. Eastern Time. That made the incident America’s longest nationwide ground stop in 25 years and only the second since September 11, 2001.
Thousands of passengers experienced cancellations, diversions and delays as airlines struggled to reorganise aircraft and crew schedules. By late Friday, nearly 10,000 flights faced cancellations, while thousands more experienced delays across several American airports.
Transportation officials launched an investigation to determine whether contractor installation errors or faulty equipment triggered the technical malfunction. L3Harris confirmed its cooperation with investigators and acknowledged the disruption’s impact on passengers, airlines and airport operations.
Officials reported no evidence of a cyberattack, although investigators continued examining the precise technical cause of the network failure. The FAA expects flight operations to recover gradually as airlines restore schedules and reposition aircraft across affected airports.
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