The American Civil Aviation Authority has ordered a national halt to air traffic. The decision comes after reports of disruptions to radio frequencies used for communications. Thousands of flights postponed and cancelled. For the moment, a hacker attack has been ruled out
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the American federal civil aviation authority, has ordered the suspension of all flights in the United States until further notice, due to "extraordinary circumstances and for safety reasons". The FAA itself announced this in a note, specifying that "the blockade of air traffic must remain in force until further notice" and that "international flights will be managed on a case-by-case basis". The measure comes after interruptions to the radio frequencies used for communications were reported in some areas of the country. The flight ban ordered across the United States has so far led to the postponement of more than 10,000 flights and the cancellation of another 1,700, according to the FlightAware app.
The FAA, writes CNN, "excludes, for the moment, a cyber attack".
All U.S.-bound air traffic departing from Eurocontrol member states was also suspended at the request of the FAA. Eurocontrol has 42 member states, including Israel.
Mullin: "It's not another 9/11"
“It's not another 9/11,” the only other time all planes have been grounded in the United States. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said this. "This is not another 9/11, that is absolutely not the case. We want all planes grounded, several nations are involved. Some of the systems are having problems. Secretary Duffy is doing a great job and is in communication with the president. We have not set a time period for how long this grounding will last. Everyone is safe, there should be no fears it is a telecommunications issue. We are looking at all air traffic. There are operations at different levels. We can still communicate up to a certain level, but it has to be everything restored".
Mullin added: "We know there are areas that have not been affected but I can't share that information. All the agencies are working together. I don't want to talk about a crisis, but several agencies are working right now. The president stepped in right away, he's the best person to lead us right now. We can't compare it to 9/11. We don't know what caused it, we don't want to make assumptions."
"Technicians are investigating the problem"
“The FAA has issued a nationwide take-off ban for all U.S. airports following a communications issue impacting all Air Traffic Control Centers,” confirms Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy. "FAA engineers are investigating the issue. We will provide immediate updates as soon as we have them."
The FAA website is also out of service
Shortly after the notice was published, the Federal Aviation Administration's site for air traffic control communications went offline. Dozens of notices that were previously available for consultation have thus disappeared from the page.
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The first problems in Chicago
The FAA's decision to block all flights comes following reports of serious communication problems, writes SkyNews. The agency had previously disclosed that it was experiencing difficulties in communications related to air traffic control. Shortly before the nationwide announcement, the FAA had already blocked traffic in Chicago, again due to communication problems. CBS News also reported that a ground operations freeze had been placed at Midway International Airport, also located in Chicago.
Over 3 thousand planes headed towards the USA
There are currently over 3,000 planes flying to US airports, according to Flightradar24, a site that tracks air traffic in the United States. Over 30,000 flights had to depart since the national flight ban came into force just before 4pm (East Coast time). The effects of the blockade are also starting to be felt in the United Kingdom, writes Sky News UK. The 10.30pm flight from Heathrow to JFK, New York has already been cancelled.
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In the USA there are also problems at the National Weather Service
The National Weather Service also reported internet and communications problems today. The weather service itself announced it on its website. “You may not be able to access our data,” we read in the message to users which states that “technicians are working to resolve the problem”.
Farnesina and Italian embassy monitor flight block
The Farnesina and the Italian embassy in the United States are monitoring the situation linked to the blocking of flights, in collaboration with the local authorities who have communicated that they have implemented measures to restore air traffic control. Minister Antonio Tajani is informed and follows its evolution. For any reports, contact the Italian Embassy on +1 (202) 2573753 or the Crisis Unit on +39 0636225 or via email at [email protected].
