Copper wire replacement caused air traffic control issue that grounded flights across U.S.: White House

10 minutes ago

Former FAA air traffic manager says recovery will take 2 to 3 days

Cancelling the FAA ground stop order was just the first step in getting planes moving again. The National asks former FAA manager Michael McCormack to explain why it could take up to 3 days to fully restart air travel after such a major disruption.

Former FAA air traffic manager Michael McCormick told CBC News that airlines will need time to sort out their operations — something that will likely take the whole weekend.

"You have aircraft, air crews, passenger baggage, and they're stuck in locations where they're needed elsewhere," McCormick said. "It takes time and a lot of effort to reschedule all those aircraft and air crews to be where they need to be."

Airlines also have to determine which flights to delay and which ones to cancel outright, McCormick said. 

"Some airlines will choose to delay the flights because they need that aircraft and air crew to get to the destination airport," he said. "Other times they may choose to cancel flights because air crews may run out of their flight time and they won't be able to actually fly the aircraft."

15 minutes ago

Canadian airlines warn passengers of possible delays, cancellations

As Canadian airlines recover from yesterday's nationwide ground stop in the U.S., they're warning passengers that recovery will take some time.

"Schedules may continue to be impacted as operations recover," Air Canada wrote in a statement. "If your flight is impacted or if there are any changes to your itinerary, we'll notify you via email and text message."

Air Canada advised passengers to monitor their flight status,

WestJet meanwhile said that travellers flying to and from the U.S., Mexico or Caribbean between Friday and Sunday can make a one-time change or cancellation without penalty. But the airline warned that call centre wait times will be longer than usual.

21 minutes ago

Travellers brace for chaotic weekend after U.S. airspace shutdown

This weekend will continue to be chaotic for travellers in the U.S. — and beyond. Yesterday, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) suffered a communications issue in the afternoon — caused by aging and overloaded air traffic control systems, according to the White House — that catapulted the country into a nationwide airport shutdown lasting more than four hours. Thousands of flights were cancelled or delayed, including in Canada, creating chaos and uncertainty for airlines and travellers. 

It's only the third time the FAA has grounded flights nationwide in 25 years. The first lasted two days following the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. And on Jan 11, 2023, the FAA paused domestic departures for some 90 minutes, also because of a communications issue.

It will likely take days for U.S. flight to return to normal.