The Federal Aviation Administration announced that US airspace operations have returned to normal at all air traffic control centers, following the decision to halt flights nationwide, on Friday.
The Aviation Administration had suspended flights on Friday “due to exceptional circumstances and safety considerations,” explaining that the decision was the result of a “temporary communications failure.”
The administration is currently giving priority to takeoffs this morning in the Boston, New York, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C., areas.
Travelers can still expect long queues and flight delays, with thousands of flights canceled across the country on Saturday, while airlines work to address the congestion resulting from the decision to stop flights.
In a related context, American Airlines said in a new statement that its flights will witness more delays and cancellations.
The company explained that travelers can change their reservations or refund the value of their tickets, and also advised customers to check the status of their flights before heading to the airport.
"We apologize to our customers for the impact that the FAA's nationwide flight halt has had on your travel plans. We thank you for your patience and understanding with our front-line teams, who are doing everything they can to help you," the statement read.
According to FlightAware, American Airlines canceled 1,239 flights on Friday, the largest number among airlines. As of Saturday morning, the company had canceled 525 flights, equivalent to 16% of its total flights.
For his part, Ben Sliney, former director of national operations at the Federal Aviation Administration, described the extent of the disruption that the country witnessed on Friday as “worrying,” during his intervention on the Smerconish program on CNN, on Saturday.
Slaini, who on September 11, 2001, issued an order for all aircraft flying in the air to land, pointed out that although there had been previous failures in communications systems, the failure that affected such a wide range of airspace was an unprecedented precedent.
While the Trump administration blamed outdated air traffic control technology, Sliney, a retired air traffic controller, explained that the equipment used today is the same as it was in use in 1980 or 1990, despite tremendous technological advances in other areas. “We are far behind in terms of technology availability and providing air traffic controllers with these tools,” he said.
He added: "It is unbelievable to me that we do not have the equipment that technology can provide us today."
Airports were affected locally and globally by the decision to halt air traffic in the United States, which led to the cancellation of thousands of flights that were scheduled on Saturday.
Here is a list of some of the US airports that have seen the greatest impact on departing flights, according to flight tracking website Flightradar24:
LaGuardia Airport in New York
John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York
Detroit Metropolitan Airport Wayne County in Michigan
Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport in Kentucky
Kansas City International Airport in Missouri
Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport in Alabama
Albuquerque International Airport in New Mexico
Bradley International Airport in Connecticut
Spokane International Airport in Washington
