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Airlines are resuming operations after the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) lifted a nationwide ground stop on Friday night. The ground stop, which lasted about four hours, was issued due to radar and communication issues affecting multiple air traffic control centers. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy attributed the problems to "an incredibly old air traffic control system," according to NPR.
The FAA halted departing flights nationwide as a precaution, impacting thousands of flights. CNBC reported that more than 8,000 flights were delayed and 7,000 were canceled. The FAA's technicians are investigating the cause of the disruptions, which were not believed to be a cyberattack, as stated by Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin.
Delta Airlines and United Airlines have begun resuming flights, but Delta noted it will take time to reset operations. Meanwhile, JetBlue announced it would cancel the rest of the night's flights. The FAA said inbound international flights would be managed on a case-by-case basis.
The ground stop was one of the biggest disruptions to the U.S. air travel system since the September 11 attacks. The Wall Street Journal reported that airlines canceled more than 7,500 flights on Friday and had already canceled 1,800 more for Saturday.
Senator Richard Blumenthal called for a "prompt, penetrating investigation" into the causes of the ground stop, emphasizing the need for credible and accurate action from the Department of Transportation.