The FAA suspended departures throughout the United States on Friday, 13 November, following a breakdown in air traffic control communications. Its last operational plan consulted provides for a step-by-step resumption without announcing a general return to normal.
The U.S. Secretary of Transport, Sean Duffy, reported that the problem affected the centres responsible for controlling the en route aircraft. Federal Aviation Administration technicians are investigating this failure. The national measure aims to prevent new departures until security conditions permit them.
Flights to the United States: a planned gradual recovery
Operational Notice No. 119, issued by the FAA Command Centre on 13 November at 2246 UTC, describes the strategy from 2300 UTC. This corresponds to 1746 hours and 1800 hours respectively on the east coast of the United States, as well as 0046 hours and 1 hour on 14 November in Beirut.
The document envisages the gradual release of traffic according to available capacity. It still displays the national suspension as an active measure, with a limit at 4 hours UTC on 14 November. This terminal is not a guarantee of general return to normal.
The distinction is important for travellers: a step-by-step resumption allows for successive authorisations, not necessarily a simultaneous restart at all airports.
A communications breakdown, not a definite cause
In its initial explanations, Sean Duffy mentioned a problem affecting the 22 regional air traffic control centres. These facilities follow aircraft between airport areas. Their role explains the national scope of an interruption in their communications.
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said there was no evidence of a malicious attack. He mentioned a telecommunications breakdown. This initial assessment does not replace the technical conclusions of the investigation: no specific liability can be considered established at this stage.
Aircraft already in flight can land, according to the first consistent information reported on the measurement. Therefore, stopping departures does not mean that all aircraft have been ordered to stop or that all airports have closed.
Distinct weather disturbances of the day
The FAA daily bulletin of 13 November already provided for weather difficulties at several major airports. He mentioned wind and low clouds in Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Las Vegas and San Francisco, as well as precipitation in Chicago.
These forecasts do not describe the subsequent national breakdown. A delay identified on Friday may have several causes; It would therefore be misleading to automatically attribute all the delays of the day to the communication problem alone. No consolidated balance sheet specific to this incident is retained here.
The FAA recommends that passengers check their flight status directly with their company. For flights in the United States with connections, the check must cover each segment: the authorization to leave an airport does not guarantee that the continuation of the route will function normally. Confirmation of a complete lifting of the national measure was expected in the last operational opinion consulted.
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