The flights return to take off in America after a malfunction in the radar and communication systems.
The US FAA grounding was lifted at 8:15 PM EST, about 4 hours after the grounding. US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the malfunction began at 3:36 p.m. with erratic and inconsistent radar and communications data appearing while more than 3,500 planes were in the air.
According to official statements, the planes landed gradually and safely according to approved emergency procedures, without the suspension involving critical flights such as medical evacuation. Duffy attributed the disruption to outdated air traffic control equipment and pressure beyond the capacity of old switches and routers, stressing that the incident was not a cyber attack at the stage it was announced, with delays expected to continue after the suspension is lifted.