The FAA said Thursday’s system outage began at approximately 5 a.m. EST when a router problem disrupted a number of air traffic management services including flight plan processing. The problem was resolved at approximately 9 a.m. EST, but not before hundreds of flights were cancelled or delayed. Air traffic control radar and communications with aircraft were not affected during this time and critical safety systems remained up and running. The FAA attributed the failure to a software configuration problem within the FAA Telecommunications Infrastructure (FTI) in Salt Lake City. As a result, FAA services used primarily for traffic flow and flight planning were unavailable electronically.

The National Airspace Data Interchange Network (NADIN), which processes flight planning, was affected because it relies on the FTI services. During the outage, air traffic controllers managed flight plan data manually and safely according to FAA contingency plans. There is no indication the outage occurred as a result of a cyber attack. System-wide delays and cancellations continued to be assessed throughout the day. A team of FAA technical and safety experts is already investigating the outage. FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt is meeting with representatives from Harris Corporation, the company that manages the FTI, to discuss system corrections to prevent similar outages in the future. For more information, visit www.faa.gov.

Meanwhile, Roger Dow, president and CEO of the U.S. Travel Association, has issued a statement about Thursday morning's widespread flight delays. “When is our country going to get serious about building a modernized air travel system that serves travelers and does not break down? This morning's widespread flight delay incident is yet another example of the need to fix the system, end delays and reduce air traffic congestion. Research shows that 41 million air trips were avoided last year due to delays and cancellations caused by an antiquated system. This problem cannot wait to be addressed -- we urge Congress and the Administration to prioritize bringing our air travel system out of the dark ages and into the 21st century with next generation technology and practices."

The National Business Travel Association (NBTA) also issued a statement from Michael McCormick, NBTA executive director & COO, in response to the multitude of flight cancellations and delays throughout the United States due to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) computer glitch: “Thousands of travelers across the United States today are suffering flight delays and cancellations due to a ‘glitch’ in our antiquated aviation system,” McCormick said. “This is an unacceptable drag on corporate productivity at a time when we need the government to be the best partner of a private sector trying to drive economic growth. Today is a prime example of how necessary a 21st Century aviation system is for our nation’s travelers and economic stability. We urge the FAA to redouble its efforts to build redundancy into the information technology systems that the flying public relies upon.

“In particular, to facilitate efficient and safe air travel, the FAA’s Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen) needs funding and swift implementation. NextGen is a wide-ranging transformation of the entire national air traffic control system to meet current and future demand. The program will also support the economic viability of the air system while reducing delays and improving safety. In fact, the FAA estimates that the project’s full implementation will lead to a 20 percent reduction in delays.” For more information, visit www.faa.gov.  
 

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