Can flights across the United States be suddenly stopped and then restarted? Pilot: Delays may continue

The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ordered the suspension of flights nationwide on November 13 due to an air traffic control communications failure. If there is a communication problem then why would air traffic be stopped on a large scale? A senior pilot, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that normal takeoff and landing of aircraft must rely on radio contact with air traffic control personnel; Even if the system is restored, there may be delays due to accumulation of flights and passengers during the grounding.

The FAA said releases will be coordinated through the air traffic control system command center as various air route control facilities are restored, and the full recovery time has not yet been determined. At 6 pm Western time on the 13th, San Francisco Airport lifted the flight ban and announced that flights could resume normal takeoff and landing.

The pilot said that when he learned that flights across the United States were suddenly suspended on the afternoon of the 13th, he thought about the suspension of flights across the country after the 9/11 incident and whether it might involve a security threat or hacking of the communication system. They believe that if threat information is received that could affect flight safety, officials can suspend flight departures for a period of time to conduct safety inspections. However, this is only his initial association and personal interpretation, not the confirmed cause of the incident.

Homeland Security Secretary Markway Mullin told the media outside the White House on the afternoon of the 13th, Western time, that the current incident is considered a telecommunications failure and there is no indication that any malicious attack is involved. He said all flights were under control and appealed to the public not to panic. The exact cause of the failure remains to be investigated.

The pilot reported that during normal flight operations, the aircraft is required to maintain contact with air traffic control personnel via radio during takeoff and landing. Once communication fails, takeoff and landing operations cannot be carried out normally.

Grounding primarily restricts flights that have not yet taken off, but not all aircraft are required to land immediately. The FAA said planes already in the air can still take off and land at their destinations, while international incoming flights will be controlled on a case-by-case basis. Transport Minister Sean Duffy said a communications problem was affecting the air traffic control center and technicians were investigating.

Another concern for travelers is whether they can depart immediately after the suspension order is lifted. The pilot said that system recovery and flight schedule recovery are two different things. There are a large number of passengers waiting during grounding, and flight scheduling cannot digest them all in a short time; Therefore, even if takeoffs resume, delays may continue.

Flights at various airports in the Gulf region are affected by the suspension. San Francisco International Airport said that as of 3 p.m., flights to Asia and the Pacific region, including Hawaii, were allowed to take off; SFO officials expect flight delays to extend into the weekend, ABC7 Bay Area reports. The release of some routes does not mean that overall operations have returned to normal. Travelers should still confirm the status of individual flights with the airline.