Air Traffic Control Glitch: Thousands of Flights Delayed, Canceled
Hundreds of flights were either delayed or canceled over the weekend because of a technical problem at an air traffic control center in Leesburg, Virginia, The New York Times reported.
On Saturday alone, the glitch caused 462 delays and 476 cancellations at airports in the District of Columbia metropolitan area, and hubs across the nation continued to see problems due to a ripple effect into Sunday based on data provided by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the FlightAware flight-tracking service.
At least 2,250 U.S. flights were delayed on Sunday and more than 150 were canceled, Bloomberg Business noted, also based on FlightAware reports. Most affected were airports on the east coast, including hubs in Philadelphia and Washington, the publication detailed.
New York's JFK and Laguardia airports, as well as hubs in Baltimore; Tampa, Florida; and Fort Lauderdale, Florida also experienced significant delays, according to the New York Daily News.
Meanwhile, the FAA was working "to determine what caused the problem and is working closely with the airlines to minimize impact to travelers," spokeswoman Kathleen Bergen said. In a statement, the federal agency added that the snarl was believed to be the result of an "automation problem" and that it did not suspect an accident or hacking to have anything to do with the issue.
The Leesburg air traffic center provides radar service to airports and planes in flight over several states along the east coast, Bergen explained. Aircraft passing through the affected airspace were either rerouted or forced to fly at low altitudes, she added.
Dallas resident Miller Roberts was traveling from Baltimore to Kansas City on Saturday, but his Southwest Airlines flight, scheduled to take off at 10 a.m., was still on the ground four hours later, Skift reported.
Roberts, who was hoping to set up a robotics display at the Missouri State Fair, took the delay in stride.
"I think everyone realizes this is out of our control," he said.
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