U.S. travelers faced more frustration on Wednesday with over 150 flights canceled nationwide, as the country's air traffic control service struggled to recover from a technical glitch that caused chaos.
Aircraft tracking website FlightRadar24 reported that 177 flights scheduled for Wednesday had already been canceled, following 1,300 cancellations to and from U.S. airports the day before.
Nearly all of the latest affected flights were at the busiest U.S. airport, Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson, FlightRadar24 posted on X.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said it was still working to resolve the disruption caused by a “system issue."
“This has been a very complex recovery and has created difficulties for the entire aviation network, from which it will take time to recover," FAA said in an X post late Tuesday.
U.S. news outlets reported that Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg will meet FAA Administrator Steve Dickson on Wednesday.
Dickson told U.S. media he accepted “full responsibility” but declined to say if he was considering resigning.
Transport Secretary Buttigieg earlier on X said he was “seeking assurances that lessons will be learned and systems supporting aviation are adequate."
But airline industry leaders, including Delta COO John Tague, called for immediate action, criticizing the FAA's response and demanding improved safety measures.
“Enough is enough, it’s time for the government to intervene and appoint leadership capable of resolving these issues," Tague stated.
Ripple Effect
Hartsfield-Jackson said late Tuesday that departures had resumed after the “technical issue” caused a temporary suspension of arrivals.
However, it warned that “disruption is expected to continue," advising passengers to check with their airlines before heading to the airport.
Major carriers like American Airlines also warned of a “significant ripple effect" impacting tens of thousands of travelers.
The FAA said it had “resolved” the glitch causing the disruption and was "doing everything possible to clear the backlog of flights."
“We recognize this is extremely frustrating and sincerely apologize," the agency posted on X.
This air traffic disruption follows a similar technical failure in July last year that resulted in hundreds of canceled flights, fueling criticism from airline executives.
In 2023, the U.S. experienced its worst air system failure in years, affecting more than 700,000 passengers after hundreds of flights were delayed or canceled.
Nightmare Scenario
Travelers like healthcare worker Lisa Ramirez called it "an absolute nightmare" after dealing with canceled flights and delays.
“Getting through the airport was like trying to escape Alcatraz,” she said.
Several airports, including Dallas/Fort Worth, Chicago O'Hare, and Los Angeles International, also reported delays and cancellations, while airlines issued advisories to passengers.
Ryanair, a major European carrier with flights to the U.S., noted disruptions affecting thousands of their customers and canceled dozens of flights.
Meanwhile, the New York City Marathon, scheduled for the weekend, expressed concerns about the impact of ongoing disruptions on travel plans for spectators and participants.
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