Trump administration says it sees no signs of threat, but does not rule out attack after suspension of flights in the US

In an interview with journalists at the White House this Friday (13), Markwayne Mullin, Secretary of Homeland Security of the United States, stated that the problems that caused the suspension of plane takeoffs in the country will take a prolonged period to be resolved, but said he sees no signs that the country is under attack.

"We have no reason to believe that, at this time, this is a threat to the United States. This is a telecommunications problem that affects the entire FAA," he said, referring to the Federal Aviation Administration.

"We have already accounted for all flights. Those arriving, whether international or those already in the air, will be handled on a case-by-case basis. There will be a priority list as these aircraft approach. There was no prior indication that this was an attack. People don't need to worry about their loved ones who are traveling."

The secretary, however, admitted that it may take time for the situation to return to normal. “This will not be resolved and normalized in just an hour,” he said. "It will take some time. But once again, everyone is safe. All flights have been accounted for, and there is no reason for the public to be afraid."

The FAA ordered the suspension of takeoffs at all airports in the country. Landings of aircraft that are already in the air are permitted. The measure is due to a communication problem that affects all air traffic control centers on American routes, said US Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy. FAA technicians are investigating the problem, he said.

Almost 8,000 flights in the US were delayed or canceled by 7pm (Brasília time), according to data from flight monitoring platform FlightAware. The determination establishes a strike throughout the American territory. There is no forecast for the resumption of takeoffs.