Following the failure of a system that provides safety information to pilots, thousands of flights throughout the United States were canceled or delayed on Wednesday. The government initiated an inquiry into the malfunction, which resulted in the hours-long grounding of aircraft.
Pilots can get crucial information about runway closures, airport work, military, and space activities through the Notice To Air Mission system. Pilots are unable to take off without that knowledge.
“This is a standardized, uniform way for getting important safety messages out to airports, aircraft and airlines,” said Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.
By 9 a.m., the FAA declared that its system was working once more and permitted departures to proceed, But delays cascaded throughout the day.
“The Department of Transportation has launched an investigation to find what exactly caused the computer outage,” said Buttigieg.
