28 October, Kathmandu. Air traffic control (ATC) in the US had to stop flights for more than 4 hours on Friday due to a malfunction in its communication system.

Citing security reasons, the Federal Aviation Administration ordered the suspension of flights at airports across the country. During this period, more than 8,000 flights were canceled and around 1.5 million passengers were affected.

Although the ban on flights was lifted on Friday night, a large number of flights had to be canceled on Saturday as well.

This is the second time that all flights have been grounded in the US since the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. This situation was created earlier in January 2023 when FAA's main computer system malfunctioned.

Trump asked for $30 billion to improve air traffic control

US President Donald Trump has requested $30 billion in additional funding to modernize the country's air traffic control system.

He spoke to the Republican Senator Eric Schmidt on the phone and asked the Congress to pass the bill in this regard soon. Air traffic control system, airport tower, terminal and other essential aviation infrastructure will be upgraded from this amount.

The impact of the ban on flights may last until the weekend

After about 4 hours, the ban on flights to the US has been lifted and airlines have started to resume service. However, some companies have expressed fears that flights may be delayed or canceled until Saturday.

US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has requested $50 billion to upgrade the air traffic control system, although President Trump has only asked Congress for $30 billion.

Duffy pointed out the need for a complete modernization of the system, not just general maintenance. Last year, Congress approved $12.5 billion for this. Minister Duffy has criticized Congress for not providing enough funding.

US Secretary of Homeland Security Mark Wayne Mullin has said that there is no indication of a cyber attack in the failure of the air traffic control system.

In a press conference held at the White House, he said that from the initial investigation, it appeared to be a technical malfunction of the telecommunication system. However, the real reason is yet to be discovered.

Aircraft in the air during the suspension are allowed to land. They were not called back. However, the planes at the airport could not take off. In the case of international flights coming to the US from other countries, a separate decision was made on a case-by-case basis.

The grounding began in Chicago

According to reports, flights across the US were not grounded at once. It started at Chicago's O'Hare and Midway airports, where flights were halted due to problems with communications systems.

Later, after this problem was observed in other air traffic control centers in the country, 'ground stops' were implemented across the US. According to the FAA notice, the ban on flights will continue until further orders. According to Flight Radar 24, several flights have been spotted in US skies that failed to land.

Connect the new AI system

FAA officials are investigating whether the malfunction in the communications system is linked to the new artificial intelligence (AI) system. This system allows air traffic control to identify potential problems and suggest rerouting of aircraft.

The US government is replacing old wires with fiber optic cables and radio systems as it replaces outdated air traffic control technology. Last year, $12.5 billion was approved for the project, but there is still much work to be done.

Passengers will get a full refund in case of flight cancellation

Passengers are entitled to a full refund if their flight is canceled in the US. This rule applies regardless of the reason for the flight cancellation. A refund can also be sought if the flight is significantly delayed or the time is changed and the passenger decides not to travel.

The incident happened about two weeks before the Thanksgiving holiday when preparations were underway for the trip. According to Airlines for America, an average of 2.7 million passengers travel daily on American airlines during the holidays.

(with assistance from agencies)

TU INTERNATIONAL CRICKET STADIUM