The nation’s air travel system is on the cusp of returning to normal Sunday, following a catastrophic nationwide ground stop—the longest in 25 years—triggered by a critical failure during an upgrade of air traffic control’s communication and radar systems. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy revealed that contractor L3Harris Technologies Inc.’s attempt to replace old copper wiring with new fiber wiring resulted in system overloads, causing intermittent communication and radar gaps that necessitated a four-hour shutdown of air traffic. While officials investigate whether contractor error or faulty equipment was to blame, the ripple effects of this unprecedented disruption continue to impact travelers, with residual delays and cancellations affecting thousands of flights and requiring passengers to monitor their flight status directly with airlines for the latest updates.
Adapted from: U.S. News Today on Fox News
