Flights may resume after the Federal Aviation Administration ordered all flights to be grounded Friday afternoon. The FAA said the ground stop was ordered after an old, analog air traffic control system experienced a data overload.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said “it’s going to be slow” getting air traffic back to normal. Duffy also did not rule out that it could happen again, and called upon Congress to approve funding to upgrade the system, estimating a $50 billion price tag.
When asked what is being done for passengers who were stranded, Duffy said that the FAA was responsible for the ground stop, which means airlines can not be held accountable for providing lodging or food to those impacted. Travelers who cancel their flights because of a prolonged delay are entitled to refunds, per the FAA.
In a statement, the San Antonio International Airport said “travelers should check with their airlines for more information on delays and cancellations.”
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin told reporters Friday evening that the federal government is investigating the cause, there was no indication yet that the incident was a “nefarious” act and that everyone was safe.
“This isn’t another 9/11. I cannot repeat that enough,” he added.
Is there a link to FAA’s new artificial intelligence program?
Mullin said investigators will look at whether there is any link to the FAA’s nationwide rollout of a new artificial intelligence system to help identify problems and reroute planes. But that system operates out of one location near Washington, D.C., and just sends recommendations to the air traffic control centers.
The government has been working to overhaul the outdated technology that air traffic controllers rely on since Congress approved $12.5 billion for the project last year. Miles of old copper wires have been replaced with fiber optic lines and old radio systems are gradually being replaced at airports across the country.
But much work remains. Duffy has said that another $30 billion will be needed to complete the work, and the White House has begun lobbying Congress to approve it.
The problem appeared similar to a regional air traffic control communication outage in September that snarled hundreds of flights across the Northeast, aviation safety expert Steve Arroyo told the Associated Press, except this time on a nationwide scale. It may be linked to the outdated technology used by air traffic controllers.
“If you don’t have that ability, whether it’s because the old wires that they have are just run down or for whatever reason, you’ve got to stop airplanes on the ground,” said Arroyo, who is a former United Airlines pilot. “And not put them in the air where you’re going to risk not being able to communicate with them.”
Friday’s ground stop was different than the one after Sept. 11 because planes were not being told to land immediately and pilots likely were able to communicate with ground controllers at airports, Arroyo said.
This is the first nationwide ground stop since January 2023, when a key FAA computer system malfunctioned. Before that, the last time had been after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
Sports weekend thrown into chaos as teams get stranded in airports
NBA, NHL and college teams were left stranded as they tried to reach their destinations, and NFL teams were left to wonder whether the issue would be resolved in time for them to travel to their games this weekend.
Most college football teams playing Saturday travel the day before their game, and the stoppage left many schools — including No. 2 Utah, eighth-ranked Texas and No. 9 Tennessee — at a standstill as they departed for road games.
UNT’s flight to San Antonio to face UTSA was also delayed, so the Mean Green decided to board a bus and is en route to the Alamo City for its game Saturday.
Fresno State landed in San Antonio at 5 p.m. Friday for their scheduled game in San Marcos against Texas State.
Duffy said the FAA will work to ensure teams can make it to their scheduled competitions on time.
“I would encourage those football teams to reach out to the FAA, to schedule their flight times and make sure they can” make it to their kickoff, Duffy said.
This story is developing. Check back later for updates.
ABC News, the Associated Press and CNN Newsource contributed to this report.
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