FAA lifts nationwide flight halt after communications glitch
The US flight suspension announced Friday by the Federal Aviation Administration was lifted after a nationwide communications failure crippled air-traffic control centers. The agency said technicians restored the affected systems, allowing departures to resume across the country.
FAA ends nationwide halt as systems come back online
At 15:30 Eastern time the FAA confirmed that the emergency pause, imposed “due to extraordinary circumstances and safety reasons,” was no longer in effect.
Airlines such as United reported that they had halted departures earlier in the day and were now working to rebuild their schedules. The carrier warned that some flights could remain delayed through Friday night.
Federal investigators from the FBI have opened a probe to determine whether a recent software update triggered the malfunction. Early findings rule out a cyber-attack or criminal activity, according to the bureau’s statement.
National Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin told reporters that the repair effort would take several hours and emphasized that the incident was not comparable to the 2001 attacks. “It will not be resolved in the next few hours; it will take us longer, but everyone is safe,” he said.
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Impact on Mexico City airport and regional carriers
The Mexico City International Airport reported more than 4,000 passengers affected, with 26 flights delayed as of 17:30 local time. Airport officials urged travelers to check directly with their airlines for the latest status.
Volaris informed that some of its flights could experience delays or cancellations due to the operational restrictions in the United States.
Viva Aerobús also indicated that there could be delays or adjustments in flights due to the same situation, and asked its clients to check the status of their flight on the airline’s official website.
Data from flight-tracking services showed over 10,500 delayed departures and roughly 1,700 cancellations nationwide by 18:30 Eastern time. The busiest hubs included Chicago, Dallas-Fort Worth, Denver, Atlanta and Charlotte, which together accounted for more than 2,000 cancellations.
At the time of reporting, Chicago O’Hare listed 436 cancelled flights, while Dallas-Fort Worth showed 417, reflecting the broader strain on the national network.
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Broader operational impacts
Flight-tracking platforms recorded more than 24 000 delayed departures across the United States, including over 9 000 international services.
Historical context highlighted the rarity of such a nationwide halt. The last comparable suspension occurred in January 2023 when a critical notification system failed. Prior to that, the only other nationwide grounding followed the September 2001 attacks.
Responses from industry and officials
Transportation officials emphasized that the communications glitch stemmed from regional control centers, not a single point of failure. A senior department spokesperson clarified that ongoing technical reviews aim to prevent recurrence.
Verizon, a key technology provider for many airport operations, affirmed that its network remained fully functional. A company representative stated that all platforms continued to operate without interruption.
