U.S. Secretary of Transportation Shawn Duffy noted that the NOTAM system, which sends safety notices related to flight operations to U.S. pilots, has been temporarily suspended, which could lead to flight delays.
According to Reuters on the 2nd (local time), Minister Duffy stated the previous day via X (formerly Twitter) that efforts are being made to restore the NOTAM system.
Minister Duffy mentioned that there was a backup system in place, so there should not be any immediate problems, but he advised that passengers should check the status of flights that day. Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, and Southwest Airlines indicated to Reuters that there were no immediate issues.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has opened a hotline to communicate with airline officials and will provide updates on the NOTAM system status every 30 minutes. An emergency system has also been activated to continue flight operations.
The NOTAM system also experienced a shutdown in January 2023, leading to the cancellation or delay of more than 11,000 flights within the United States.
As air travel disasters continue to occur in the U.S., this computerized system issue has compounded the situation. On the 29th of last month, an American Airlines passenger plane attempting to land at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport collided with an Army Black Hawk helicopter conducting training nearby, resulting in both crashing and the deaths of 67 individuals.
On the 31st of last month, an emergency medical transport plane crashed onto a road in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, leading to the deaths of all six people on board and one resident who was caught in the explosion.