US FAA Orders Temporary Halt to All Departing Flights Amid Air Traffic Communication Failure

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has ordered a temporary suspension of all departing flights from airports across the United States after a major failure affected the communication system used to manage air traffic.

The sudden decision caused widespread disruption to flight schedules across the country, affecting thousands of flights. According to a Reuters report, the FAA issued the directive on Friday, November 13.

The order led to disruptions at airports across the United States, causing inconvenience for passengers and affecting the regular operations of airlines.

The FAA said communication problems had emerged among several air route traffic control centres across the country. These centres monitor and manage aircraft movements in the nation's airspace. As a precautionary measure to ensure aviation safety, the agency decided to temporarily suspend the departure of all flights.

However, aircraft that were already airborne before the directive was issued were allowed to continue to their destinations and land. The FAA said decisions regarding international flights would be made separately, depending on the circumstances and safety considerations.

The agency also said it had the necessary information about the locations of all aircraft operating in US airspace. As a result, authorities were aware of the positions of aircraft already in the air.

Commenting on the situation, US Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin said the relevant authorities knew the locations of all airborne flights. He urged the public not to panic.

He added that preliminary investigations had found no indication of a deliberate attack or sabotage. For now, the incident is being treated as a technical failure involving telecommunications and communication systems.

According to an Al Jazeera report, data from flight-tracking company FlightAware showed that around 7,000 flights in the United States had been delayed or faced cancellation amid the disruption. Meanwhile, statistics from Flightradar24 indicated that more than 4,000 aircraft were en route to airports across the country when the FAA issued its directive.

Reuters also noted that this was the second time the United States had ordered a nationwide halt to all departing flights since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.