US air travel disrupted as officials investigate massive flight groundings
US aviation faced massive disruption after roughly 16,000 flights were delayed or canceled across Friday and Saturday, the largest nationwide grounding since September 11, 2001. The gridlock stranded travelers, forced international carriers to scrap US flights, and led to the rescheduling of dozens of sporting events.
Investigators found no evidence of malfeasance, focusing instead on equipment failure or contractor incompetence during infrastructure upgrades. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said contractor L3Harris may have installed a faulty router or overloaded systems while replacing copper wire with fiber optics during peak Friday traffic. While Congress previously approved $12.5 billion (€11.3 billion) for modernization, Duffy cited an emergency and demanded $50 billion, topping the $30 billion sought by the Trump administration.
FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford expects flights to normalize by Sunday, adding that travelers will be rebooked or refunded despite airlines lacking a legal obligation to pay compensation. The crisis further weighed on airline stocks already hit by high fuel prices from the conflict in Iran and the Strait of Hormuz closure: shares in American, Delta, and United fell 1% to 2%, while JetBlue and L3Harris dropped 3%.
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