Washington — In a calm briefing outside the White House Friday afternoon, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin told reporters that federal investigators have not ruled out a cyberattack or an artificial‑intelligence intrusion as the cause of the sweeping telecommunications outage that forced the Federal Aviation Administration to ground all departing flights across the United States.
Assuring the Public
“There’s no reason for the public to be afraid or scared for your loved ones,” Mullin said. “This isn’t another 9/11. I just can’t repeat that enough.” He emphasized that every aircraft currently in the sky is accounted for and safely landing, and that backup communication redundancies allowed air‑traffic controllers to stay in touch with airborne planes.
What Happened
The emergency directive was issued at 3:54 p.m. Eastern Time, halting departures at every airport in the nation’s 5.3 million‑square‑mile domestic airspace. FAA operational figures show roughly 5,000 to 5,500 planes are airborne during peak afternoon hours, part of a daily schedule that averages more than 44,300 flights.
The federal alert read, “Attention all aircraft operators, by order of the Federal Aviation Command Center all airports are ground stopped. All departing traffic should remain ground stopped until further notice.” Inbound international flights will be managed on a case‑by‑case basis.
Investigation Ongoing
Mullin said the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and aviation technicians are examining every possibility, including malicious hacking or issues tied to the FAA’s new AI traffic‑control rollout. “We’re not ruling out anything at this point,” he explained. “You always have to assume that cyberattacks could happen, but as of right now, that’s not known.”
The secretary also dismissed speculation that the outage was linked to Microsoft’s service issues the previous day, calling the two matters separate.
Administration Coordination
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy confirmed on X that the outage affected all Air Route Traffic Control Centers, which manage high‑altitude flights between airports. Mullin noted that both Duffy and President Donald Trump were immediately briefed and are coordinating the multi‑agency response.
Two undisclosed regions within the United States continue to communicate normally, allowing controllers to guide aircraft safely to the ground.
Local Impacts and Next Steps
Major hubs felt the impact within minutes. An advisory for Chicago O’Hare International Airport cited an equipment outage, and Boston Logan International Airport reported all outbound flights delayed. Boston airport officials urged passengers to check with their airlines for the latest updates.
Mullin warned travelers not to expect an immediate fix. Restoring communication systems and clearing the backlog of grounded flights “isn’t going to just be resolved and turned around within the hour.” The last nationwide ground stop occurred in January 2023 after a malfunction in the FAA’s pilot‑alerting system; before that, the only comparable event was the September 11, 2001 attacks.
Why This Matters
The swift, transparent response from the Trump administration underscores its commitment to protecting American families and preserving the safety of the nation’s air travel system. By keeping the public informed and coordinating across agencies, the administration demonstrates the decisive leadership that keeps our skies secure.
Original reporting: Tampa Free Press — read the source article.
