US flight shutdown grounds London services
Hundreds of flights between the UK and America were cancelled or delayed following a nationwide air traffic control system failure.
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Trust aided by named officials, Flightradar24 data and Eurocontrol statement; lacks multiple independent sources.
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Hundreds of flights between London and the United States faced cancellation and delays following a nationwide air traffic shutdown in the US. The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) grounded all flights across the country for about four hours on Friday due to what it described as extraordinary circumstances and safety concerns related to communications problems at regional air traffic control centres.
The disruption led to approximately 10,000 flights to and from the US being cancelled, according to Flightradar24. This event marked the longest US air traffic shutdown since the September 11 attacks. US transportation secretary Sean Duffy announced shortly after 1.30am GMT that the airspace had reopened, but warned that disruption would persist for several days.
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Impact on London Airports
The nationwide ground stop began affecting London flights on Friday evening. British Airways cancelled a flight to New York that was scheduled to depart from Heathrow at 10.30pm on Friday. By 6.45am on Saturday, Heathrow's website indicated 29 flights to and from the US were cancelled, with an additional 19 departures experiencing delays.
At Gatwick, three flights scheduled to arrive from Orlando, Florida, at 7.30am on Saturday were cancelled. Virgin Atlantic also confirmed the cancellation of a flight from London Heathrow to New York JFK that was due to depart on Friday. The airline advised customers to check their flight status.
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European Air Traffic Suspension
Late on Friday, Eurocontrol announced that all air traffic bound for the US from its member states was suspended. This suspension was in effect between 2200 UTC on November 13 and 0500 UTC on November 14, in response to the disruption in the US. Eurocontrol comprises 42 member states, including the UK.
Cause and Future Outlook
Homeland Security secretary Markwayne Mullin suggested that the introduction of new technology into an older air traffic control system may have overwhelmed it. He stated that it did not appear to be the result of a cyber attack or rogue artificial intelligence. Secretary Duffy indicated that while the system had been rebooted, further disruptions might occur, but expressed an expectation for flights to be largely operational by the following weekend, ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday.
Questions this report answers
+What caused the nationwide flight shutdown in the US?
The US Federal Aviation Administration grounded all flights due to communications problems at regional air traffic control centres. Officials suggested that the introduction of new technology into an older system may have overwhelmed it, although they stated it did not appear to be a cyber attack.
+How many flights were affected in London?
By 6.45am on Saturday, 29 flights to and from the US were listed as cancelled on Heathrow's website, with 19 departures delayed. Gatwick reported three arrivals from Orlando were cancelled. British Airways and Virgin Atlantic also confirmed cancellations.
+When did European flights to the US resume?
Eurocontrol announced that all US-bound air traffic from its member states was suspended between 2200 UTC on November 13 and 0500 UTC on November 14. The FAA announced the airspace had reopened shortly after 1.30am GMT on Saturday.
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