Flight takeoffs suspended across the U.S.... Minister of Transportation "Control Center Communication Problems" (Comprehensive)

Flight operations at airports across the U.S. were completely suspended from around 4 p.m. on the 13th (U.S. Eastern time).

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced that "aircraft takeoffs have been suspended at all airports" citing "unusual circumstances and safety reasons."

The FAA announced that “all departing flights must remain suspended (on the ground) until further notice,” and that landings for international flights entering the United States will be managed on a case-by-case basis.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy posted on social media that "FAA technicians are investigating the issue," citing a "communications issue affecting all Air Route Traffic Control Centers (ARTCCs)."

According to law enforcement officials, initial findings indicate that a cyberattack was not the cause of the incident, CNN reported.

According to a flight tracking site cited by the New York Times, there are currently more than 1,000 aircraft heading to the United States. In addition, 30,000 aircraft were scheduled to take off from U.S. airports during the day after the takeoff stop time.

As of 4:45 p.m., there were more than 7,800 flight delays in the U.S., and about 350 flights were canceled. The NYT reported that passengers were getting off the plane and leaving the airport at hub airports in major cities such as Chicago and Denver.

The last time the FAA implemented a nationwide flight suspension was on January 11, 2023. At the time, thousands of airplane takeoffs and landings were delayed when contractor employees accidentally deleted files related to the warning system used to communicate with pilots.