A major disruption to US air travel that grounded departing flights nationwide for more than four hours has been traced to a telecommunications upgrade involving ageing copper wiring, Transport Secretary Sean Duffy has revealed.
The shutdown occurred after a router undergoing maintenance by contractor L3Harris reportedly overwhelmed air traffic control systems, disrupting communications with aircraft and forcing authorities to suspend departures for safety reasons. More than 3,500 flights were cancelled and another 2,000 delayed on Saturday as disruption continued.
Officials have found no evidence of a cyberattack or malicious interference, although investigators are examining whether faulty equipment or contractor errors caused the failure.
The incident, the longest nationwide ground stop since the September 11 attacks, has renewed concerns about America’s outdated aviation infrastructure, with Duffy warning that similar failures could occur unless Congress approves President Donald Trump’s proposed $30.1 billion modernisation programme.
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