US Aviation Regulator Lifts Nationwide Flight Halt Following System Failure

UPDATE - follow-up to FAA grounds departing flights nationwide, citing air traffic communication system outage: Over ten thousand flights faced disruptions after the Federal Aviation Administration stopped all outbound departures across the country on Friday afternoon due to radar and communication problems at multiple control centers. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin stated at the White House that officials found no signs of any danger to the country. The agency pointed to a brief telephone and internet network failure as the cause, halting departures as a precaution while technicians looked into the root cause. Flight tracking data showed international routes and West Coast departures gradually resuming by evening.

Context

Major aviation regulators maintain strict safety protocols that require immediate halts when vital control systems lose connectivity. Similar technical failures in past years have caused widespread travel delays across American airports.