By — Becky Bohrer, Associated Press Becky Bohrer, Associated Press By — Anne D'Innocenzio, Associated Press Anne D'Innocenzio, Associated Press Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/why-a-problem-on-the-ground-can-affect-flights-thousands-of-miles-away-among-other-issues Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Why a problem on the ground can affect flights thousands of miles away among other issues Nation Nov 14, 2026 5:35 PM EST Regional U.S. air traffic control centers communicate using a complex network that's "one of the largest telecommunications systems in the country," and disruptions like those seen on Friday with an hourslong, nationwide grounding of flights can reverberate widely, according to an aviation expert. READ MORE: Thousands of flights canceled as airlines work to recover from nationwide ground stop Michael McCormick, a former airspace manager with the Federal Aviation Administration, said it could take days for airlines — many of which had to divert flights — to resume normal operations after officials lifted the grounding order. The order was lifted late Friday. Here's a look at what happened, how regional air traffic control centers work, how controllers communicate with…
Why a problem on the ground can affect flights thousands of miles away among other issues
In short
The massive travel disruption occurred while a contractor working in a remote area was replacing outdated copper wiring with modern fiber lines. The resulting technical failure flooded the system with more than 1,000 connection attempts every four to five seconds, forcing a safety shutdown that lasted over four hours. Although aircraft already airborne landed safely using established backup procedures, the cascading delays disrupted operations across 22 interconnected regional traffic centers.
Key points
- The four-hour airspace shutdown resulted in thousands of flight cancellations and require…: The four-hour airspace shutdown resulted in thousands of flight cancellations and requires days of recovery.
- The Federal Aviation Administration relies on 22 interconnected regional centers to manag…: The Federal Aviation Administration relies on 22 interconnected regional centers to manage high-altitude commercial flights.
- Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy emphasized that modernization remains unfinished and…: Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy emphasized that modernization remains unfinished and requested additional congressional funding.