Daijiworld Media Network – Washington

Washington, Nov 15: Air travel across the United States is expected to remain disrupted until late Sunday, November 15, following a technical failure in the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) air traffic control communications system, which triggered widespread flight cancellations and delays.

Thousands of passengers remain stranded at airports as airlines struggle to restore normal operations. FAA chief Bryan Bedford said on Saturday that flight schedules were unlikely to return to normal until late Sunday, as the agency continues efforts to stabilise its systems.

According to aviation tracking website FlightAware, more than 6,150 flights had been cancelled and over 7,300 delayed across the United States by 6.45 pm ET on Saturday. The situation was even worse on Friday, when approximately 9,200 flights were cancelled and another 7,500 faced delays. More than 530 flights scheduled for Sunday had also been cancelled by Saturday evening.

Bedford apologised to passengers affected by the disruption and assured them that the country's aviation system remained stable. He said the FAA was working to restore normal operations, with flight services expected to largely recover by late Sunday.

However, airlines continue to face difficulties in bringing their schedules back on track. Apart from managing cancellations and delays, carriers must reposition aircraft, pilots and other crew members to resume regular services.

The disruption began on Friday after the FAA issued a nationwide ground stop, suspending almost all departing flights across the country for nearly five hours. It marked the longest nationwide interruption of air travel since the September 11, 2001, attacks.

The incident also triggered an emergency meeting at the White House, where officials gathered in the Situation Room to assess the situation and determine the cause of the technical failure.

Authorities initially examined the possibility of a cyberattack. However, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy later said the problem was traced to the installation of at least one new router by FAA contractor L3Harris at a remote facility.

With cancellations and delays continuing, passengers and airlines are awaiting the restoration of normal flight operations. Although the FAA expects services to largely recover by late Sunday, the disruption has created significant challenges for the country's aviation network.