Skip to main content
See every side of every news story
Published • loading... • Updated

Copper wire replacement caused air traffic control issue that grounded flights across U.S.: White House

Officials said a contractor’s maintenance work overloaded routers, disrupting communications and radar at 17 FAA en route centers and forcing thousands of cancellations.

  • On Friday, the Federal Aviation Administration grounded planes for over four hours—the longest nationwide ground stop in 25 years—after new technology overloaded antiquated air traffic control equipment, causing "intermittent" communications and radar gaps.
  • Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said a contractor replacing copper wires with fiber optic lines caused the system overload; he and the White House are pushing for $30 billion more to complete critical infrastructure upgrades.
  • The stoppage affected about a quarter of 45,000 daily U.S. flights, with more than 4,100 cancellations. Aviation consultant Andrew Charlton said the "knock-on effect" of the disruption is incredible.
  • FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said Saturday that U.S. air travel should be fully recovered by the end of tomorrow, though flights will still experience delays and cancellations throughout the day.
  • Modernizing active aviation systems is "incredibly complex and dangerous," aviation consultant Andrew Charlton warned, as officials investigate potential contractor "incompetence" while aging equipment remains a long-term concern.
Insights by Ground AI
Podcasts & Opinions

487 Articles

Lean Right

The suspension of U.S. take-offs at the national level led to the cancellation of thousands of flights, and according to information, the races were blocked due to a problem arising from the modernization of copper cables. Article Flights from the U.S., suspended due to problems related to the modernization works. The statements made by Sean Duffy appear first in Romania TV.

Read Full Article
Center

A failure in the air traffic control system in the United States has caused the suspension of flights for more than four hours across the country. The chaos at American airports is also being noted in other countries, as it affects their air connections. We tell you the last hour live:Keep reading....

·Barcelona, Spain
Read Full Article
Think freely.Subscribe and get full access to Ground NewsSubscriptions start at $9.99/yearSubscribe

Bias Distribution

  • 47% of the sources are Center
47% Center

Factuality Info Icon

To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium

Ownership

Info Icon

To view ownership data please Upgrade to Vantage

NewsBusters broke the news in Herndon, United States on Friday, November 13, 2026.
Too Big Arrow Icon
Sources are mostly out of (0)

Similar News Topics

News
Feed Dots Icon
For You
Search Icon
Search
Blindspot LogoBlindspotLocal