FAA halts US takeoffs after telecommunications outage; no evidence of an attack so far

The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) halted all takeoffs across the country after a temporary telecommunications outage affected air traffic control centres nationwide. According to the FAA's official statement, the decision was made as a precaution. The agency confirmed that it had accounted for all aircraft already in the air.

A technical problem has therefore been confirmed, but an attack on US infrastructure has not. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said there was currently no indication that the outage posed a threat to national security. He added that no possible cause could be ruled out entirely, including a cyberattack, but that the available information pointed to a telecommunications failure.

According to Index.hr, two US law enforcement officials told CNN that initial information did not point to a cyberattack. The FBI is monitoring the situation, but that does not in itself mean an attack is suspected. Mullin also said the incident was unrelated to the disruption affecting Microsoft services.

The disruption has nevertheless had a major impact on air travel. According to figures from FlightAware reported by Index.hr and Jutarnji list, more than 7,000 flights had been delayed or cancelled. Airports warned passengers about further disruption. United Airlines and American Airlines said that aircraft already in the air would continue to their destinations, while new domestic departures would remain on hold until the FAA lifted the restriction.

Some headlines compare the incident with the September 11 attacks because the last nationwide halt of takeoffs occurred in January 2023, while the previous one was imposed after the 2001 terrorist attacks. However, this historical comparison does not mean the current incident involves a similar threat. Mullin explicitly rejected that interpretation.

Caution is justified because a communications failure can seriously disrupt air traffic. However, there is currently no confirmed evidence of an attack, and the available information does not support presenting this technical outage as another security incident like September 11. FAA technicians are investigating the cause, and the authorities have not provided a clear timetable for a full return to normal operations.