Suspension of flights in the USA: Secretary of Security rules out attack and talks about ‘telecommunication problem’

The Secretary of Homeland Security of the United States, Markwayne Mullin, said that the suspension of all takeoffs at all airports in the country this Friday (13) was due to a "telecommunication problem" and ruled out a possible attack.

According to the country's Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the measure was adopted due to extraordinary circumstances and safety reasons. The guidance is that all flights scheduled to depart from the United States remain on the ground until further notice.

In an interview at the White House, Mullin said there was "no reason" to worry about a possible attack.

"So far, there is no sign that this is an attack against us. It is, for now, just a failure in telecommunications. This will take some time to resolve," he said.

"I want to reinforce: there is no reason for the public to be afraid or worried about their families. This is not a new 9/11. What is happening now is a failure in telecommunications. It is something very different."

The suspension was announced after the FAA halted air traffic in Chicago due to communication problems between flight controllers.

According to the agency, international flights to the United States will be evaluated individually.

According to data from monitoring website FlightAware, almost 7,000 flights in the United States were delayed or canceled as a result of the national suspension.

TV Globo learned from a source who works in a control tower at a New York airport that the problem is related to a crossing of radio frequencies.

As a result, more than one aircraft can transmit messages at the same time on the same frequency, which makes communication with controllers difficult.

In practice, professionals cannot clearly identify which plane is talking to the tower.

The initial forecast was that the restriction would last until 22:00 UTC (19:00 Brasília time).

The suspension of all takeoffs in the United States has a recent precedent: in January 2023, the FAA adopted the same measure.