The FAA ordered a nationwide grounding of departing flights for safety reasons, following a communications outage affecting all 22 regional air traffic control centers. United Airlines warned passengers that the disruptions would continue until 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, November 14
SANTO DOMINGO – The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ordered the suspension of takeoffs at all airports in the country on Friday due to an interruption in air traffic control system communications, a situation that has caused significant disruptions to airline operations.
The measure was adopted for safety reasons, given extraordinary circumstances related to the operation of air traffic control communications, according to the FAA notice reported by ABC News and Reuters.
In its ruling, the agency ordered that outbound flights remain grounded until further notice and stipulated that international arrivals would be handled on a case-by-case basis.
Sean Duffy confirms failure affects control centers
US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy confirmed that the communications outage affected all air traffic control centers in the country and that FAA technicians were investigating the problem.
The statement was released by Duffy on the social network X and reproduced by Reuters in its coverage on Friday, November 13.
The official reported that the FAA had issued a nationwide flight suspension and that technicians were working to determine the source of the incident and resolve it.
The Associated Press (AP) reported that the problem affects all 22 regional air traffic control centers that coordinate aircraft movements in U.S. airspace.
National Security is investigating the origin
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin stated that the government was investigating the cause of the failure and that, at that time, there was no indication that it was a deliberate act.
ABC News reported the official's statements during a meeting with reporters on Friday, to whom Mullin described the incident as a telecommunications disruption and assured that the people involved were safe.
The official indicated that authorities were continuing to investigate the problem, without yet establishing a definitive technical cause.
Nearly 7,000 flights affected
The suspension has caused significant disruptions to U.S. air travel. Reuters reported, citing data from the FlightAware tracking service, that nearly 7,000 flights had been delayed or canceled as a result of the disruption.
The FAA order prevents aircraft that remain on the ground from initiating flights while the restriction is in effect, although aircraft that were already in the air may complete their landing operations.
International flight arrivals to the United States are handled individually, according to operational conditions.
United Airlines says disruptions will last until Saturday
United Airlines informed its passengers that the disruptions related to the national suspension would continue until 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, November 14.
The forecast corresponds to the communication from the company itself and should not be confused with the validity period of the order issued by the FAA.
This means that United is warning its customers about the expected duration of disruptions to its operations, but not necessarily that all US airports will remain shut down until that time.
The normalization of flights will depend on the decisions of the FAA and on the existence of safe conditions to resume takeoffs.
An air system that needs modernization
The disruption has also brought back into question the state of the technological infrastructure used by the US air traffic control system.
Reuters reported that Congress approved $12.5 billion for the modernization of that infrastructure and that authorities have raised the need for additional resources to complete the process.
The Associated Press also addressed the modernization program and noted that work is underway to replace old communication systems and equipment used by air traffic controllers.
However, neither agency has confirmed that the age of the equipment is the specific cause of the breakdown recorded this Friday.
Dominican Republic and the Caribbean
The suspension has implications for passengers using the United States as a destination or connecting point to other countries.
Connections between US cities and destinations in the Caribbean, Central America, South America, and Europe may experience delays, cancellations, and itinerary changes, depending on the evolution of restrictions and the decisions of each airline.
For the Dominican Republic, the situation is of particular interest due to the volume of air connections with cities such as New York, Miami, Orlando and Boston.
Passengers with scheduled flights should check directly with their airlines regarding the status of their bookings and available alternatives before traveling to the airports.
The FAA retains the responsibility to determine when sufficient technical and operational conditions exist to lift the restriction and allow the normalization of departures.
The disruption once again highlights the importance of communications in air navigation safety and the dependence of thousands of daily flights on essential technological infrastructure.
