Southern California airports are expected to return to full capacity by late Sunday after a nationwide ground stop disrupted travel on Friday. The disruption prompted President Trump to break his silence and reaffirm the administration’s commitment to modernizing the nation’s air traffic control system.
Root cause investigation and immediate response
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy told viewers on five major news programs that officials are examining two new routers installed at Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) facilities in Arkansas and Texas. The routers, part of recent upgrades, appear to have malfunctioned when a contractor replaced old copper wiring with new fiber, causing an overload that cascaded into the ground stop.
“We’re going to figure out what was the root cause and then move forward from there,” Duffy said, emphasizing that the problem was not a cyberattack. Intelligence agencies reportedly found no evidence of hacking activity.
Trump’s call for rapid, comprehensive upgrades
In a post on Truth Social, President Trump said the administration has begun upgrading the air traffic control system but warned against a piecemeal approach. “If Congress approves the desperately needed money for Air Traffic Control, we can get it built quickly and efficiently,” he wrote. “It will be the BEST SYSTEM anywhere in the World. Much of our current air control system is 50 years old – RIDICULOUS!”
The President also criticized the previous administration, accusing Democratic President Joe Biden of worsening an already “old and broken system.”
Funding and legislative backdrop
Congress, under Republican control, approved $12.5 billion for the FAA as part of the administration’s tax‑cut package last year. Duffy described that amount as a down payment on a broader overhaul. He said additional billions are required to build a “brand new architecture” for the network, and that telecom companies such as AT&T, Verizon and Lumen stand ready to deploy the new infrastructure “tomorrow” if funding is available.
President Trump’s administration has been “fully engaged,” according to Duffy, who noted constant contact with the President throughout the crisis.
Airlines and travelers on the path to recovery
Airlines and airports have been working through the night to restore normal operations. Duffy expressed optimism that, as the day ends, the system will be running at full capacity. “We’re well on our way,” he said.
Travelers stranded on Friday are now being re‑booked, and flight schedules are gradually returning to pre‑ground‑stop levels. The FAA continues to monitor the situation and will provide updates as the investigation progresses.
What’s next for the FAA?
The FAA plans to conduct “deep diagnostics” on the routers and other equipment involved, with engineers from contractor L3Harris Technologies leading the effort. The agency’s long‑term goal is to replace the aging 50‑year‑old infrastructure with a modern, resilient system that can handle future traffic demands.
President Trump and Secretary Duffy both stressed that swift congressional action is essential to prevent future disruptions and to keep America’s skies safe and efficient.
Original reporting: NBC4 Los Angeles — read the source article.
