NEW YORK, USA — The Federal Aviation Administration halted domestic departures across the United States at 3:54 p.m. Eastern on Friday after a telecommunications outage disrupted regional air traffic control centers. Aircraft already airborne could still land, and international arrivals were handled individually. By early Friday evening in the United States, FlightAware had recorded more than 10,000 delays and nearly 1,500 cancellations on flights within, into or out of the country, The Guardian reported. The FAA had yet to confirm a restart time.
Asia’s Saturday Arrivals Show Uneven Effects
The order came before dawn Saturday in Asia. As of early Saturday local time, the available reporting showed individual flight delays and schedule changes. The extent of disruption across the four cities was still unclear.
| Airport | What early flight records showed |
|---|---|
| Beijing Capital (PEK) | Air China’s CA982 from New York JFK had left hours before the order and was expected near its scheduled Saturday morning arrival. There was no verified impact report for Beijing Daxing (PKX). |
| Hong Kong International (HKG) | Cathay Pacific’s CX831 from JFK left before the order and was expected about 25 minutes late. Its CX879 from San Francisco also left before the order, but its estimated arrival was nearly four hours behind schedule. The flight records did not establish the cause of either delay. |
| Tokyo Haneda (HND) and Narita (NRT) | FlightStats showed ANA’s NH109 from JFK running about three hours and 15 minutes behind schedule for Haneda. United’s UA837 to Narita had departed San Francisco on time, before the ground stop. |
| Bangkok Suvarnabhumi (BKK) | United’s Saturday UA821 service from Bangkok to Los Angeles via Hong Kong remained listed as scheduled. The morning UA820 leg from Hong Kong to Bangkok was also listed on time, with its actual arrival still unconfirmed. |
Europe’s Overnight Flights Face Disruption
At Frankfurt, JFK’s terminal board showed Lufthansa’s LH401 delayed. At Paris Charles de Gaulle, Air France’s AF001 had left its JFK gate, though its takeoff time was unverified. At London Heathrow, British Airways was reported to have canceled its 10:30 p.m. flight to New York JFK. No incident-specific public statement could be verified from Lufthansa, Air France or British Airways in the initial reporting. Virgin Atlantic said it was assessing the impact.
Restoring Communications Is Only the First Step
FAA technicians were investigating while controllers prioritized getting airborne aircraft down safely. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said there was no initial indication of a deliberate attack. At San Francisco, controllers discussed releasing some flights to Asia and Hawaii, but at least one pilot said his crew would reach its duty limit before departure. That constraint can carry delays into the next day, even after controllers can accept more traffic, because airlines still need aircraft and crews in place for their next flights.
Sources: FAA, Lufthansa, Air France, British Airways, Air China; Cathay Pacific, ANA, United Airlines
Picture: AI Generated