The United States has restored normal flight departures following a nationwide suspension that disrupted air travel and left thousands of passengers stranded at airports.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) lifted the ground stop on Friday after problems with radar communications forced airlines to suspend departures across the country.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy blamed the disruption on the country’s ageing air traffic control infrastructure, saying its communication routers became overwhelmed by excessive data.
Speaking at a White House press briefing, Mr Duffy described the system as outdated and said the telecommunications equipment could no longer adequately handle the volume of information being processed.
The disruption reportedly led to the cancellation of about 8,600 flights, leaving passengers stranded, with some returning home while others waited in lengthy queues to retrieve luggage they had already checked in.
Although the restriction on departures has been lifted, airlines are expected to face challenges restoring their schedules and accommodating passengers affected by the cancellations.
Mr Duffy called on Congress to approve $50 billion in funding to modernise the country’s deteriorating air traffic control infrastructure and prevent similar disruptions.
He warned that further incidents were likely if the necessary upgrades were not carried out, questioning how many more disruptions lawmakers needed to witness before releasing funds for the system’s overhaul.
Meanwhile, Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said the authorities had not ruled out the possibility of a cyberattack.
He noted that investigations were ongoing to establish the cause of the disruption, adding that officials would not dismiss any possibility until their inquiries were concluded.
