Nearly 7,000 flights have been delayed or cancelled across the US after the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ordered a nationwide ground stop following a communications failure affecting air traffic control centers. The rare shutdown, one of the few such measures since the 11 September 2001 attacks, has brought departures across the country to a halt. Law enforcement sources told CNN that the disruption does not appear to have been caused by a cyber-attack, or was it?
In a move seen only once before since the 11 September 2001 attacks, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has ordered a nationwide ground stop, bringing flight departures across the country to a halt following a communications failure affecting air traffic control centers.[1]
The agency said all departing aircraft had been instructed to remain on the ground until further notice, citing "extraordinary circumstances and for reasons of safety." The disruption was caused by a communication issue affecting all Air Route Traffic Control Centers, which manage aircraft travelling across the country, US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said in a social media post. "FAA technicians are investigating the issue," Duffy added.
In an advisory, the FAA said: "Traffic should remain ground stopped until further notice." It added that international flights arriving in the US would be handled on a case-by-case basis. The nationwide order followed reports of radio frequency and radar outages affecting several air traffic control centers and terminal facilities. Flights had earlier been halted at Chicago's O'Hare and Midway airports. The ground stop was expected to remain in effect until at least 5pm Eastern Time, although the FAA had not confirmed when normal operations would resume. The cause of the communications failure remains unknown.
The last nationwide ground stop was ordered in January 2023, when a technical failure brought down the Notice to Air Missions (NOTAM) system, which provides pilots with essential safety information. Before that, a nationwide grounding had been imposed following the 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks.
DHS is reporting that this shutdown was a communication, or was it?
This article is shared at no charge for educational and informational purposes only.
Red Sky Alliance is a Cyber Threat Analysis and Intelligence Service organization. We provide indicators of compromise information (CTI) via a notification/Tier I analysis service (RedXray) or an analysis service (CTAC). For questions, comments or assistance, please contact the office directly at 1-844-492-7225, or feedback@redskyalliance.com
Weekly Cyber Intelligence Briefings:
- Reporting: https://www.redskyalliance.org/
- Website: https://www.redskyalliance.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/64265941
Weekly Cyber Intelligence Briefings:
REDSHORTS - Weekly Cyber Intelligence Briefings
https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/7855487668891299929
[1] https://www.msn.com/en-in/news/other/why-has-the-faa-ground-stop-been-issued-cyber-attack-fears-surface-and-full-list-of-flights-affected/ar-AA2hoN64/
Comments