The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a rare nationwide ground stop on Friday at approximately 4:00 pm local time, halting all flight departures due to a temporary disruption in its telecommunication system. The order was lifted at 8:15 pm, after nearly four hours.

Cause of the disruption

Speaking at a White House press briefing, US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy attributed the failure to "aging hardware." He stated that the disruption affected radar, communication systems, and control centers across the country. The FAA confirmed that all flights have been accounted for and that international flight operations will be considered separately.

Security concerns dismissed

Both Secretary Duffy and Homeland Security Secretary Markwen Mullin told reporters at the White House that there was no indication of a cyberattack. According to a report by The Daily Star, the US has stated that the airspace is now "opened up" and the incident was not the result of any malicious cyber activity.

$30 billion modernization request

The breakdown came just one day after Secretary Duffy and the White House formally asked Congress for $30 billion to upgrade and modernize the US Air Traffic Control System. The incident has once again highlighted the vulnerabilities of the nation's aging aviation infrastructure.