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Air travel across the United States has returned to normal after being suspended for more than four hours due to a technical failure in the communication systems of the country's air traffic control centers.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) temporarily halted aircraft departures from airports nationwide on Friday afternoon (November 13) after the technical disruption.
According to a report by US broadcaster CNN, the FAA ordered the suspension of all flight departures at around 4:00 pm local time on Friday. The restriction was lifted at 8:15 pm, approximately four hours and 15 minutes later.
Officials at the US Department of Transportation said the disruption was caused by a failure in the telecommunications systems used by air traffic control centers, combined with excessive data traffic on an outdated network router.
This marked only the second time in US history that air traffic operations have been halted nationwide. The first such shutdown occurred following the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
According to flight-tracking company FlightAware, the communication failure caused widespread disruption at airports across the country. Airlines cancelled more than 1,000 flights, while nearly 10,000 others experienced delays as authorities worked to manage the situation.
Aircraft already in the air were allowed to land, but planes waiting at airports were not permitted to take off during the suspension.
The disruption also affected air travel beyond the United States, with flight cancellations reported in Canada and Europe.
Meanwhile, the US Department of Homeland Security said there was no evidence linking the incident to a cyberattack.
Speaking to reporters outside the White House, Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said authorities had found no indication of malicious activity so far. Initial assessments suggested that the incident was caused by a technical failure in the telecommunications system.
He added that the president had also been briefed on the situation.
