Some good news 🌱
Mangroves rebound; 12 Great Barrier Reef coral species restored
NASA said mangroves are recovering after decades of decline.
https://t.co/rUdlpNK6oM
The company behind the FAA's new AI air traffic tool says its software did not cause today's ground stop. Air Space Intelligence is the vendor for the FAA's SMART system. The FAA is blaming a telecommunications outage. Root cause still unknown.
https://t.co/GcYWs75He2
Flying this weekend? The big three are waiving change fees. Delta: rebook by Nov. 21. United: rebook through Nov. 20. American: rebook by Nov. 17. Check your airline's app for the exact terms before you change anything.
https://t.co/GcYWs75He2
Not everything is grounded. Flights within Alaska and within Hawaii are still departing. So are West Coast flights to Hawaii and Pacific-bound departures out of San Francisco. Everything else in the lower 48 is waiting on the FAA.
https://t.co/GcYWs76f3A
The ground stop isn't just a Friday problem. More than 700 U.S. flights are already canceled for Saturday, per FlightAware, and that's before airlines sort out where their planes and crews ended up tonight.
https://t.co/GcYWs75He2
Four hours in, the FAA's nationwide ground stop is still in effect. More than 4,000 flights canceled today. More than 10,000 delayed. The order runs through at least 11 PM ET.
https://t.co/GcYWs76f3A
Canada's air traffic system is unaffected by the U.S. outage, but Canadian travelers are feeling it. Nav Canada says its systems are running normally and its operations are untouched. Major Canadian airports have traffic-management measures in place, and outbound flights to the U.S. and beyond are disrupted. Ottawa says it is monitoring and staying in contact with Nav Canada.
https://t.co/iLd6fajM3L
U.S. Air Force security forces responded Friday evening to suspected unauthorized drone activity near RAF Lakenheath. Reports that Lakenheath and two nearby bases moved to the highest force-protection level are unconfirmed. No link to the U.S. ground stop has been established.
https://t.co/iLd6fajeed
The FAA's nationwide ground stop is still in effect more than three hours in, but the first flights are moving.
Departures are being released through the FAA's command center as en route control facilities come back.
Cancellations have topped 1,000, per FlightAware, and major airlines are offering waivers. The cause of the telecommunications outage is still under investigation, and officials say there is no sign of foul play.
https://t.co/iLd6fajeed
History: How rare is this groundstop? The last nationwide ground stop was January 2023, when an FAA safety-notice system failed. Before that: September 11, 2001.
UPDATE on the FAA ground stop: “Every flight has been accounted for,” the FAA says. DHS says crews in the air can still communicate. No sign of foul play so far, and investigators will check for any link to the FAA’s new AI system. Still no official end time.
https://t.co/iLd6fajeed
Known / unknown: What we know: all U.S. departures have been halted since 3:54 PM ET, the FAA blames a “temporary telecommunications outage,” and DHS sees no sign of a threat. What we don’t: what caused it, or when flights resume.
https://t.co/GcYWs75He2
By the numbers: The ground stop so far: ~3,100 planes were already airborne and headed to U.S. airports when it hit. 8,000+ flights delayed. 400+ canceled. Those numbers are still climbing.
https://t.co/GcYWs75He2
Chicago O’Hare looks like a parking lot right now. Live tracker data shows dozens of aircraft stacked along the taxiways and packed into the gates, with nothing lifting off.
https://t.co/Jl6RbbVVQn
FAA grounds all US flights over air traffic control communication problem
The Federal Aviation Administration ordered a nationwide ground stop on Friday afternoon, citing extraordinary circumstances and safety.
https://t.co/SmBnAnquzt
Israeli strike on Gaza's Nasser Hospital kills at least seven
An Israeli airstrike hit Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, killing six people, including a surgeon, and wounding dozens.
📍 Khan Younis, Gaza
https://t.co/9whnpf4hS2