U.S. Flights Halted Nationwide; Suspension Lifted After 4.5 Hours, Chaos Continues (2nd Update)

U.S. Federal Aviation Administration Suspends Flights, Then Announces Resumption
"Communications System Failure... No Signs of a Cyberattack"
Aging System Cited... "Disruptions Expected to Continue for Several Days"

All aircraft operations across the United States were suspended on Friday afternoon, Nov. 13 (local time), due to a failure in the air traffic control communications system. The suspension was lifted after 4 hours and 20 minutes. The disruption was the longest nationwide suspension of aircraft operations since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, causing chaos in the United States ahead of the weekend and around the world, as flights to the U.S. were delayed one after another.

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The U.S. government said the incident was caused by an aging system and that there had been no malicious threat, such as a cyberattack. As the effects of flight delays and cancellations continue, some expect disruptions to local air travel to be unavoidable for several days.

"Longest Flight Suspension Since the Sept. 11 Attacks"

According to the Associated Press (AP), CNN and other outlets, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) lifted its suspension of domestic flights across the United States on Friday afternoon. CNN reported that the move came after more than four hours of disruption caused by the communications failure, with thousands of flights delayed or canceled.

Earlier that day, the FAA announced it was suspending departures from airports across the United States due to an emergency situation and safety concerns stemming from an air traffic control communications failure. AP reported that this was the first nationwide suspension of aircraft operations since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and the malfunction of a major FAA computer system in January 2023.

Given that domestic flights in the United States were suspended for about 90 minutes in 2023, international media described the latest disruption as the longest flight suspension since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

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U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said during a White House briefing announcing the lifting of the suspension that it would take several days for operations to return to normal. As airlines made a series of decisions to delay or cancel flights because of the suspension, it is expected to take time for them to resume operations, including securing pilots and crew members and completing the necessary preparations.

The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported that the incident disrupted more than 14,500 flights and forecast that travel problems would continue through the weekend. It said about 6,000 flights were canceled on Friday alone, and nearly 1,000 more had already been canceled for the following day, Nov. 14.

The FAA said it had "conducted thorough tests to ensure the system was operating in a stable and reliable manner before authorizing flights to resume." Saying public safety was its top priority, it advised passengers to contact their airlines for flight information.

The Trump Administration: "Funding Approval Needed to Upgrade the System"

In response to the unprecedented situation, in which flights across the United States were effectively brought to a standstill, the U.S. government said there had been no threat to the country and attributed the problem to an aging system.

Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said at a White House briefing on Friday, "The public was never in danger during the suspension. There were no casualties, and there was no disruption to flight operations. The FAA was fully capable of handling the situation. We took this action to prepare for any eventuality."

U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, AP-Yonhap News

Mullin's remarks appeared to come in response to widespread questions about whether the suspension had been caused by an external attack.

He said the incident was unrelated to an external cyberattack or the recent Microsoft (MS) service outage. "We believe it was caused by a mechanical problem," Mullin said. Before the suspension was lifted, he also said, "This is a completely different situation from the Sept. 11 attacks."

Duffy said that introducing new technology into the aging air traffic control system had overloaded it. "The router was overloaded with data, and that caused the data to not be transmitted properly," he said, stressing that this had made it necessary to shut down the system. Calling it "an emergency," he asked Congress to approve $50 billion (about 67 trillion won) to overhaul the air traffic control system.

Duffy also warned that air traffic would face further disruptions if the government did not take these measures and update the system.

In this regard, the Trump Administration had been seeking to secure about $30 billion in related funding. CNN, citing sources, reported that before the flight suspension on Friday, the administration sent a letter requesting additional funding to Republican Sen. Eric Schmitt, who had introduced a related bill.

Chaos at U.S. Airports...Flights From Incheon Resume

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Although the FAA lifted the suspension of flights across the United States, disruption continued locally. According to international media reports, passengers were seen trying to sleep on the floor at airports after flights were suddenly canceled, while long lines formed as passengers who had checked their bags before delays began waited to retrieve them.

When it first announced the suspension of domestic flights, the FAA said that landings by international flights arriving in the United States would be managed on a case-by-case basis. Later, European aviation authorities, which manage air traffic across 42 member countries in Europe, said at the FAA's request that flights to the United States would be suspended for about seven hours that night. Mexico's federal aviation authority also announced that scheduled flights to the United States would be suspended for the time being.

Flights from Incheon to the United States had initially been set to be canceled, but that plan was scrapped and operations resumed. Korean Air Flight KE033 from Incheon to Atlanta and Asiana Airlines Flight OZ222 from Incheon to New York both operated as scheduled.

The resumption of cargo and parcel deliveries by air, which were affected by the FAA's suspension, also remains to be seen. FedEx, a delivery company that uses air transport, said during the suspension, "We are prepared to activate contingency plans to minimize service disruptions and will resume normal flight operations as soon as we receive FAA clearance."

In the United States, sports schedules are being adjusted quickly in response to the incident ahead of the weekend. Players traveling for games in leagues including the National Basketball Association (NBA), the National Hockey League (NHL) and the National Football League (NFL) have been stranded, and referees have also had difficulty reaching their destinations, leading to the postponement of weekend games.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.