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Air Travel Chaos: 15,600 Flights Canceled After FAA Glitch
15 Nov
Summary
- Over 15,600 flights were canceled in two days due to a nationwide FAA ground stop.
- A router malfunction during a routine upgrade by contractor L3Harris caused the disruption.
- Air traffic system is reported stable, with normal operations expected by Nov. 15 evening.
U.S. air travel faced significant disruption on November 14 and 15, with over 15,600 flights canceled across the nation. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) initiated a nationwide ground stop, impacting thousands of travelers. The system is now reported as stable, with expectations of returning to normal operations by the evening of November 15.
The widespread cancellations and delays were triggered by a communications failure within the air traffic control system. Preliminary investigations by U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy suggest the issue originated from a newly installed or modified router operated by FAA contractor L3Harris Technologies. This router reportedly flooded other devices with data during a routine upgrade from copper wiring to fiber optics, disrupting essential communications and radar information.
L3Harris Technologies, headquartered in Melbourne, Florida, is modernizing the FAA's Telecommunications Infrastructure. The company stated that safety and reliability are top priorities and that over 70% of the planned conversion from legacy copper wires to fiber optic systems is complete. They are cooperating with the FAA's investigation to determine the exact cause, whether it was equipment failure or human error during the upgrade process.
