Decades-old systems control America's skies... Will aviation paralysis occur again?

Planes stopped taking off from American airports, and air travel was disrupted across the country, after a sudden malfunction struck the communications systems on which air traffic control depends.

While the authorities were able to contain the malfunction and reopen the airspace, the accident raised questions about the fragility of the technical structure of American aviation, especially with parts of its systems relying on equipment dating back decades.

US Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy warned of the possibility of similar malfunctions recurring unless these systems are updated, at a time when the repercussions of the crisis extend beyond airports to affect travelers and other transport companies.

The Federal Aviation Administration explained that the decision to stop takeoff came after communications problems that affected a number of air traffic control centers, while Duffy said that the disturbance began around 3:36 p.m. local time, and led to instability in the communications and radar systems.

The authorities lifted the decision to stop flights at 8:15 pm, after restarting the affected centers and facilities, with delays and cancellations continuing as a result of the accumulation of disturbances.

What caused the flights to stop?

At a White House press conference, Duffy attributed the flaw to the outdated communications systems used by the Federal Aviation Administration, explaining that the network relies on outdated analog technology known as “TDM,” along with routing switches, routers, and copper lines dating back decades.

The minister said that these devices were subjected to great pressure due to the data, and began sending inconsistent information, which prompted the authorities to stop the take-off movement as a precaution in order to preserve aviation safety.

He added that the technical teams were able to relieve the pressure on the routers and restart the network, noting that the newer equipment that was installed did not suffer from a malfunction.

According to the Associated Press, the authorities have not yet provided a final explanation for all the circumstances that led to the network disruption, but they have suggested that the problem is related to the interference of old systems with the process of modernizing the infrastructure.

Other malfunctions may occur

The most prominent warning in Duffy's statements related to the possibility of a repeat of the incident; When asked whether Americans might face similar disruptions again, he said that the old system was still vulnerable to such problems, adding: “You will see more of these disruptions” unless the government and Congress provide the necessary funding to replace the network.

He explained that he could not anticipate all the major malfunctions that might affect the analog communications network, nor confirm that the same scenario would be repeated, but he pointed out that the United States had witnessed previous problems in New York and Newark, and that the authorities were still working to determine precisely what happened and how to prevent its recurrence.

Duffy said that technical investigations are continuing, and that the specialized teams are working to find out the causes of the defect and develop procedures to prevent similar problems from occurring in the future.

Upgrading an old network requires billions of dollars

The accident has brought to light the project to modernize air traffic control systems in the United States, parts of which rely on old equipment, despite the fact that the authorities have begun replacing some fiber-optic lines with copper communications lines, and modernizing wireless communication devices in a number of airports and control centers, according to the Associated Press.

Duffy said that the available funding is not enough to complete the modernization process, calling on Congress to provide additional resources. He estimated that completing the project would require about $50 billion, while he indicated that the administration was seeking additional funding amounting to $30 billion.

He stressed that replacing modern systems with old ones, which include hardware, software and communications networks, would reduce the recurring malfunctions in the current infrastructure.

Disruption in Amtrak services with increased demand for trains

The repercussions of the suspension of flights extended to the railway transportation sector, after Amtrak, the national train operator in the United States, announced an unusual increase in customer communications, as a result of travelers seeking alternatives to the affected flights.

The company said that its website and application encountered error messages, and that reaching customer service representatives had become more difficult due to pressure on communication lines, calling on travelers to try again later. However, it confirmed that the train services themselves were operating normally, and did not announce any interruption or disruption in operation.

Was the flaw a cyber attack or related to artificial intelligence?

While the suspension of flights raised questions about the possibility that aviation systems were exposed to a cyber attack, US Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullen said that there were no indications that the incident resulted from an attack of this type, stressing that the investigations did not reveal evidence of sabotage activity, according to the Guardian newspaper.

The authorities also denied that the new “SMART” air traffic management system, which the Federal Aviation Administration announced was activated in air traffic control centers, was a direct cause of the malfunction. Duffy explained that the new systems were not affected, and that the defect affected the old communications equipment.

However, the authorities have not announced the end of the investigation into all aspects of the incident, and have not yet provided a final explanation as to why the old network was loading data beyond its processing capacity.

Previous failures raise concerns about system integrity

The disruption of US aviation systems is not unprecedented; In January 2023, the United States witnessed a widespread cessation of domestic flights, after a defect in the pilot alert system known as “NOTAM” caused the suspension of takeoffs for hours. Airports in New York and Newark also faced problems in communications and air traffic control systems that led to widespread delays.

But the latest accident took on a broader scope, after its impact extended to air traffic control centers nationwide, and led to the suspension of takeoffs from American airports for more than 4 hours.

The Associated Press reported that more than 3,000 planes were in the air during the crisis and were able to land safely, while hundreds of flights were diverted, and the travel schedules of large numbers of travelers were damaged.

Despite the reopening of airspace, Duffy warned that restoring air traffic to usual levels will take time, due to airlines having to reallocate aircraft and crews, and deal with accumulated delays and cancellations.

On Friday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio criticized what he described as “using international law as a weapon,” considering it a tool in the hands of the elite. He also attacked the International Criminal Court, warning it of the consequences of imposing laws that Washington does not recognize.

His statements came before the annual national conference of lawyers organized by the conservative Federalists Association, about a month after the United States announced the imposition of new sanctions on the International Criminal Court and pledged to stop its work.

The court, which was established in 2002, tries individuals accused of committing genocide and crimes against humanity, and is considered a last resort in cases where countries lack sufficient legal systems to ensure accountability.

The United States is a signatory to the Rome Statute under which the International Criminal Court was established, but it has never ratified it. Israel, Russia and China are also not members of the court.

The speech that Rubio delivered before the conference, which was met with warm applause, was his first since the crushing defeat suffered by the Republican Party in the midterm elections.

Rubio said on Friday that international law had been used against “almost every foreign policy major” of the Trump administration, from operations against boats in the Caribbean to the arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.

He considered that this law is not neutral, but rather a “tool” used by the global elite to promote its interests.

Rubio had previously announced that Washington would ban dealing with what he described as a “rogue court,” as part of the ongoing campaign of the administration of US President Donald Trump against the International Criminal Court.

Washington pledged to dismantle this court following its issuance of an arrest warrant against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the grounds of alleged war crimes in Gaza.

On Friday, Rubio renewed his criticism of it, considering that it is a body that is not accountable to anyone, even though it “has the power to investigate, prosecute, persecute, and imprison our citizens under laws that we have not approved and over which we have no control.”