(CNN) — Following a widespread halt at US airports due to a system failure, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reported that operations had resumed.
“Normal air traffic operations are slowly resuming in the US following an overnight outage for the Notice to Air Mission system, which provides safety information to flight crews. Air operations resume,” the agency tweeted.
Update 5: Normal air traffic operations are slowly resuming across the United States following an overnight outage of the Notice to Air Mission system, which provides safety information to flight crews. Ground stop has been removed.
We continue to look for the cause of the initial problem
— FAA (@FAANews) January 11, 2023
However, the agency did not immediately say what caused the problem. “We are still investigating the cause of the initial problem,” it said in the tweet.
The Federal Aviation Administration’s NOTAMS, or Notice to Air Mission, system that failed Wednesday provides pilots with information they must read before flying.
It is unclear how many flights were affected, as some airlines were able to operate without information from the system.
However, FlightAware, which tracks delays and cancellations, showed there were more than 4,000 flight delays and nearly 700 cancellations.
Earlier, the FAA said that “some features are starting to come back online,” but added that it would take time to figure it out. An earlier notice read: “Technicians are currently working to restore the system and there is no estimate for service restoration at this time.”
“We are conducting final validation checks and are now reopening the system,” said an FAA statement. “Operations throughout the national airspace system are affected. We will provide frequent updates as we move forward.”
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg tweeted earlier: “I contacted the FAA this morning regarding an outage affecting a critical system for providing safety information to pilots. The FAA is working to resolve this issue quickly and safely so that air traffic can continue.” resume normal operations and continue to provide updates.”
American Airlines said in a statement that it is “closely monitoring the situation, which affects all airlines, and is working with the FAA to minimize disruption to our operations and for customers.”
NOTAMS is used by commercial airline pilots to obtain real-time information on in-flight hazards and restrictions. The FAA determines that NOTAMS should not be relied upon as the sole source of information, so some flights may use other data to meet safety requirements.
