An aging telecommunications network overwhelmed by data caused a nationwide ground stop for U.S. commercial aviation, aligning with a global Microsoft outage that affected users across more than 74 countries.
While transportation officials and technology providers maintained that the incidents were technical rather than malicious, the disruptions exposed the vulnerable, legacy infrastructure supporting modern commerce.
The Federal Aviation Administration ordered an immediate nationwide ground stop shortly before 4 p.m. Poco antes de las cuatro de la tarde hora de la costa este, declara el ground stop a nivel nacional, algo que ha ocurrido dos veces en la historia: tras el 11-S y en 2023, como reportó El Confidencial.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy explained that a massive data overload saturated telecommunications networks still operating on 1980s copper lines, switches, and routers. The saturated equipment generated erratic radar data and hindered communication with aircraft.
The breakdown forced air traffic controllers to increase separation margins between planes rather than triggering a total radar blackout. The agency restricted takeoffs to reduce traffic volume while flights already airborne landed safely. By Saturday morning, travel conditions improved, and Federal Aviation Administration administrator Bryan Bedford indicated that airline schedules should return to normal late Sunday.
At the same time, a major Microsoft service disruption rippled across the globe, leaving millions of workers without access to email and standard office applications. Microsoft reported Saturday that its services had been fully restored. The corporation explained that the disruption stemmed from a flaw during a prior network capacity update that manifested following a recent network change.
Maxine Gustafson, a 34-year-old medical assistant from Minneapolis, spent Friday afternoon in a rental car line at Chicago O’Hare International Airport after her travel plans collapsed. “It makes you think: Is this a cyberattack?” Gustafson told Los Angeles Times en Español, adding that people lack control over such foundational systems. Both the Federal Aviation Administration and Microsoft stated there was no indication of malicious activity.
Tori Perkins, a 34-year-old traveler stranded at San Diego International Airport, questioned government statements regarding the reliability of the system. “Suena a más de lo mismo,” Perkins told Los Angeles Times en Español regarding Transportation Secretary Duffy’s requests for tens of billions in modernization funds. The White House has requested an additional 30,000 million dollars to continue renovations started after Congress approved 12,500 million dollars last year.
Corbyn Wascher spent four hours stuck on the tarmac at Charlotte Douglas International Airport while returning to Moline, Illinois, praising the crew for handling pressure with composure. “Las azafatas fueron increíbles,” the 34-year-old high school teacher told Los Angeles Times en Español.
Earlier coverage: US Authorities Order Nationwide Ground Stop and Microsoft Services Fail
