The Federal Aviation Administration’s primary alert system for pilots, known as NOTAM, faced a temporary outage, leading the agency to rely on backup measures while ensuring safety in the nation’s airspace.
FAA's Primary Safety Alert System for Pilots Temporarily Down
FAA's Primary Safety Alert System for Pilots Temporarily Down
Transportation Secretary confirms backup system in use as the FAA seeks to resolve issues.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reported a temporary outage of its main system used to send real-time safety alerts to pilots, prompting the use of a backup system as confirmed by Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy on Saturday.
“This outage is affecting the primary Notice to Air Missions (NOTAM) system, but we have a backup in place, meaning there’s no current impact on the National Airspace System,” Secretary Duffy stated via social media. The NOTAM system is crucial for pilots to receive alerts regarding potential hazards, such as restricted airspace, closed runways, and disruptions in navigational signals.
As the FAA works toward restoring the primary system, updates on the status will be provided every 30 minutes. Duffy warned that there might be “residual” flight delays expected on Sunday morning as a result of the situation.
The U.S. National Airspace System spans over 29 million square miles, encompassing both controlled and uncontrolled areas over land and sea. This outage follows previous challenges the agency faced; one notable incident in January 2023 resulted in a nationwide grounding of departures for approximately 90 minutes.
This situation remains ongoing, and the FAA is committed to ensuring safety and efficiency within the air traffic control framework.
“This outage is affecting the primary Notice to Air Missions (NOTAM) system, but we have a backup in place, meaning there’s no current impact on the National Airspace System,” Secretary Duffy stated via social media. The NOTAM system is crucial for pilots to receive alerts regarding potential hazards, such as restricted airspace, closed runways, and disruptions in navigational signals.
As the FAA works toward restoring the primary system, updates on the status will be provided every 30 minutes. Duffy warned that there might be “residual” flight delays expected on Sunday morning as a result of the situation.
The U.S. National Airspace System spans over 29 million square miles, encompassing both controlled and uncontrolled areas over land and sea. This outage follows previous challenges the agency faced; one notable incident in January 2023 resulted in a nationwide grounding of departures for approximately 90 minutes.
This situation remains ongoing, and the FAA is committed to ensuring safety and efficiency within the air traffic control framework.
