Trump administration blames ‘overloaded’ systems for ground stop after FAA lets flights resume

WASHINGTON | Trump administration officials said Friday that new technology being added to the nation’s air traffic control system overloaded antiquated systems and caused “intermittent” communications and radar gaps, leading to the longest nationwide ground stop in 25 years. It was lifted Friday night after a five-hour stretch when most flights were not allowed to take off from airports in the United States. Thousands of flights and potentially over a million travelers were affected from coast to coast. Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin told reporters at the White House that no one was in any danger as more than 3,000 flights were safely landed. But Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy said he could not guarantee it wouldn’t happen again. Mullin said the FAA was installing “new equipment, new technology” and “it was overwhelming the older system.” There appeared to be no indication of a cyberattack, Mullin said.

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