6,000 Flight Cancelled:Why US air travel resumption will ‘take time’

Flights across the United States resumed on Saturday after a nationwide communications outage grounded aircraft for several hours, causing approximately 6,000 cancellations and prompting renewed calls to modernise ageing air traffic control infrastructure.

Flights across the United States resumed on Saturday following a major communications outage that forced authorities to ground aircraft nationwide for several hours.

According to Associated Press, as reported by Vanguard, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) lifted the nationwide ground stop at 8:15 pm Eastern Time on Friday after restoring air traffic control communications.

The disruption triggered widespread travel chaos, with approximately 6,000 flights cancelled and thousands of passengers stranded at airports.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy blamed ageing telecommunications infrastructure, including outdated routers and copper cables.

“It will take us time (to) resume normal operations… Our top priority is the safety of you and your family when you fly,” Duffy said.

Officials ruled out any immediate evidence of a cyberattack or deliberate interference.

The incident marked one of America’s most significant aviation disruptions since the September 11 attacks.

Duffy renewed calls for congressional funding to modernise the country’s ageing air traffic control systems.

Authorities warned that delays and cancellations could continue as airlines gradually restore operations.