Router collapse, outdated equipment and data overload: How the glitch that shut down US skies occurred

The Federal Aviation Administration lifted the nationwide ground stop in the US after the unusual glitch, which led to the cancellation of more than 6,600 flights and delays to 8,600 others. Transportation Secretary Duffy blamed Congress for not funding a new system and called for allocating $50 billion for modernization.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) of the United States lifted the nationwide ground stop last night (between Friday and Saturday), but the chaos at airports is still far from over. The unusual glitch, which caused the longest nationwide shutdown of US skies since the September 11, 2001 attacks, resulted in the cancellation of more than 6,600 flights and delays to 8,600 others. US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy explained that the problem began at 3:36 PM Eastern Time, when air traffic control centers experienced instability in radar and communication systems due to a data overload that flooded switches and routers. According to him, they were forced to shut down the system, but contact with aircraft was not completely lost. According to reports, the glitch affected a communication network of L3Harris Technologies, which has not yet responded. Secretary Duffy pointed a finger at Congress for not funding a new system and called for allocating $50 billion for modernization. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin clarified that there is no evidence of a cyberattack or involvement of artificial intelligence. This is the third time in history that a nationwide ground stop has been declared in the US.