DETROIT – Airports are beginning to resume normal operations across the U.S. Wednesday morning after all departing flights were delayed due to an overnight Federal Aviation Administration computer outage that affected the national airspace.
The FAA wrote on its website early Wednesday, Jan. 11, that its Notice to Air Missions (NOTAM) system had “failed.” The administration had been working to restore the system since.
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The outage affected operations across the entire National Airspace System, officials said.
At about 7:20 a.m., the FAA declared that all departing U.S. flights would be put on “pause” until around 9 a.m. to “allow the agency to validate the integrity of flight and safety information.” The ground stop has since been lifted as of 8:50 a.m., and “normal air traffic operations are resuming gradually,” officials said.
Update 5: Normal air traffic operations are resuming gradually across the U.S. following an overnight outage to the Notice to Air Missions system that provides safety info to flight crews. The ground stop has been lifted.
— The FAA ✈️ (@FAANews) January 11, 2023
We continue to look into the cause of the initial problem
Early Wednesday morning, NBC News reported that all flights across the U.S. had been grounded due to the FAA computer outage. As of about 9 a.m., more than 3,700 flights were delayed and more than 640 were canceled, the AP reports.
The FAA said it has made progress on efforts to restore the system following the outage. Flights at the Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport are affected Wednesday, just as they are everywhere else.
WDIV-TV’s Vice President and General Manager Bob Ellis is sharing a look inside DTW as of 8:30 a.m.:
How to track flight delays at Detroit Metro Airport
The best way is to download the app of the airline you’re flying with, and register your travel itinerary. Most airlines will send you notifications to your mobile device when a flight is changed.
Also, keep an eye on your email. Even without a mobile app, some airlines will email you if your flight is changed.
Real-time dashboards:
- FlightAware: Track flight delays across the entire globe, and see what delays look like where you’re heading. You can also check out the Misery Map here
- FlightView: You can enter your flight number and track the latest in real time or by route
- iFly: Same sort of tool, live map and flight number tracking
New online dashboard to help air travelers on delays, cancellations
Amid months of mass flight cancellations and delays, the Department of Transportation has launched a customer service dashboard to help vacationers.
Click here to visit the Department of Transportation dashboard.
Travelers are able to check the dashboard and see what kinds of guarantees, refunds or compensation the major domestic airlines offer in case of flight delays or cancellations. It’s designed to allow travelers to shop around and favor those airlines that offer the best compensation.
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