Transportation Secretary points to neglected aging communications system after nationwide ground stop
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A nationwide air traffic ground stop on Friday exposed the consequences of years of underinvestment in aging communications equipment, renewing calls for major public funding to modernize the system.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy told reporters on Friday night that the nationwide ground stop was triggered after aging air-traffic communications equipment became overloaded and began to falter. He said the disruption would take "some time" to resolve and projected that flight schedules could be back to normal by the Thanksgiving travel period.
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, speaking alongside Duffy, said there was no evidence the communications failure resulted from a cyberattack, though an investigation remains open. He emphasized that no lives were endangered.
Duffy blamed years of insufficient congressional funding for the failure to upgrade the system and urged the Republican-controlled Congress to provide an additional $50 billion in emergency funding by the end of the year, before budget control shifts to Democrats.
Airlines such as United and American began restoring flights after traffic resumed late Friday night, but aviation experts warned that full schedule recovery could take several days. By the afternoon, roughly 9,000 flights were delayed and 1,300 canceled.
The Federal Aviation Administration confirmed the halt, which lasted from about 7:30 a.m. to 9:00 a.m., was not linked to a cyberattack. The agency noted that multiple backup communication methods—voice radio, text messages, satellite links, and visual signals—help maintain contact with pilots during outages.
The incident affected numerous sports teams and travelers. The Brooklyn Nets, University of Texas Longhorns, and several college basketball programs reported delays, while the National Women’s Soccer League’s Kansas City Current faced flight disruptions ahead of a semifinal match. Travel analysts advised stranded passengers to seek alternative flights, secure accommodations promptly, and consider train travel where feasible.