Duffy and Homeland Security Minister Markwayne Mullin, at the press conference held at the White House, evaluated the decision taken by the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to suspend flights across the country.
Pointing out that there were instability in the radar and communication systems as of 15.36 local time, Duffy said that they decided to immediately stop the flights in the face of this situation.
Duffy noted that not all communication or radar systems were disabled, but they took precautions due to the imbalances experienced.
Underlining that there was no outage in the devices, some of which were renewed during the US President Donald Trump period, Duffy stated that the problem was caused by old hardware.
Duffy argued that such outages would not occur again with a system equipped with completely new and advanced technologies.
Stating that the centers and terminal approach control units (TRACON) are currently active, Duffy said, "We reopened the airspace at 20.15 this evening (04.15 November 14). he said.
Duffy stated, however, that this does not mean that every flight will take place immediately, the process will be slow, but they will try to operate as many flights as possible.
Budget request for new systems
Stating that vital air traffic control systems should be rebuilt with the latest technology, Duffy noted that the system should not be managed with "patches or temporary solutions".
Duffy pointed out that Trump started the reconstruction process with a comprehensive bill of $ 12.5 billion, and stated that they are progressing at an unprecedented speed in the FAA, but that this is partial financing.
Stating that they constantly encounter such problems, Duffy said, "President Trump requested 30 billion dollars, but I think 50 billion dollars is needed." he said.
There is no evidence that it was caused by a cyber attack
Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin also publicly stated that a connection was established between the incident and Microsoft, but that no such connection was found.
Stating that there has been no evidence of a cyber attack so far, Mullin noted that the teams are continuing their work on the issue.
Mullin explained that the government is acting with unprecedented speed with all its institutions, working in cooperation with airports, local governments and states to meet the needs of passengers who may need assistance.
“Things seem to be moving in the right direction right now.” Using his statements, Mullin emphasized that the public's safety was never in danger throughout the process.
"There was never a risk to life safety, no flights were compromised. The FAA was able to manage the situation. We took this step purely as a precautionary measure," Mullin said. he said.
Answering the question of whether the interruption that caused the flights to be stopped was caused by a cyber attack or artificial intelligence, Mullin stated that they have not reached a definitive conclusion at this stage, but the current findings do not indicate such a possibility.
Mullin stated that they have not yet encountered any signs of a cyber attack and that the incident seems to be caused by a mechanical problem, but the investigation is ongoing and they do not completely exclude this possibility.
"We have seen no evidence that this was a cyberattack or a superintelligence attack," Homeland Security Secretary Mullin said. he said.
The restriction lasting more than 4 hours affected thousands of flights
The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) decided to stop flights at all airports across the US due to a communication problem affecting air traffic control centers on November 13, and the restriction lasted more than 4 hours.
Duffy shared the issue on the social media platform of company X.
"The FAA has made the decision to suspend flights at all airports across the United States following a communications issue affecting all air traffic control centers," Duffy said. He used the expression.
Stating that FAA technicians are investigating the problem, Duffy noted that they will inform the public as developments occur.
According to data from flight tracking site FlightAware, more than 8 thousand flights were delayed across the country and more than 6 thousand flights were canceled.
There was a temporary telecommunications outage
In the statement made on the FAA's account on the X social media platform, it was reported that there was a temporary telecommunications outage.
In the statement, it was stated that all flights were stopped for precautionary purposes, the status of all flights was determined and each international flight would be evaluated separately.
"Not another 9/11"
Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin, in his statement to the press in the garden of the White House, said that there was a telecommunications outage across the FAA and that they stopped flights as a precaution.
Stating that the situation of the planes currently in the air and those about to land is under control, Mullin explained that the planes will land in order of priority.
“As of now, there is no indication that this is a malicious attack on us, it is simply a telecommunications outage,” Mullin said. he said.
Homeland Security Secretary Mullin noted that the incident did not pose a security threat to the American people or be another "9/11."
Statements of US airline companies
In the statement made by the US airline company United Airlines, it was stated that the necessary steps were taken regarding the FAA's decision to suspend flights across the country.
In the statement, it was noted that United Airlines flights currently in the air will continue, and new domestic flights will not be operated unless the FAA's decision to suspend flights is in effect.
In the statement made by American Airlines, it was stated that the planes currently in the air can continue their flights to their destinations.
In the statement, it was stated that disruptions in the flight schedule were expected for the rest of the day, depending on how long the FAA's decision to suspend flights across the country would last.
