On 13 November, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) suspended all take-offs across the country. The decision was taken following serious communication failures in the air traffic control system.
The FAA attributed the ban to ‘exceptional circumstances and safety considerations’, according to US media reports.
US Transport Secretary Sean Duffy stated that the communication failures had affected all air traffic control centres. “FAA technical specialists are investigating the issue. We will provide updates as soon as they become available,” he added.
According to the flight-tracking service Flightradar24, aircraft already in the air were able to continue to their destinations. However, their routes may have been altered due to congestion at airports. At the time the ban was introduced, 3,100 aircraft were en route to US airports.
The original version of this article first appeared on Glob-News.com.