The collapse of US aviation is caused by overloading the legacy ATC network.
On November 13-14, 2026, a massive disruption to US air traffic was triggered due to overloading of network equipment within an antiquated air traffic control system. US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy stated that the switches and routers of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) were flooded with data, causing transmission failures between control centers.
The FAA has continued to use hardware and copper communication lines since the 1980s. This outdated infrastructure began to transmit conflicting data, creating a direct threat to flight safety.