Air India warns of possible delays and cancellations even after the FAA lifted its nationwide ground stop.
Passengers traveling to and from the United States have been advised to check their flight status before leaving for the airport, after a communications outage disrupted air traffic operations across the country. Air India has issued an advisory warning of possible delays and cancellations even after the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) lifted its nationwide ground stop.
The disruption followed a communications failure that affected air traffic operations, forcing the FAA to temporarily halt departures from airports across the US. Although the restriction has since been lifted, airlines have cautioned that flight schedules may take time to stabilise.
Air India said the disruption could have a consequential impact on its flights to and from the US. The airline has asked passengers to monitor updates and plan their airport journeys accordingly.
Passengers with upcoming US-bound or India-bound Air India flights should take a few precautions before setting out for the airport.
- Check the latest flight status
- Look out for airline updates
- Confirm before leaving for the airport
- Plan extra time
- Check connecting flights
In a statement posted on X, Air India said: “Our teams continue to closely monitor the situation and will share updates as available.”
Why are flights to and from the US disrupted?
The FAA imposed a nationwide ground stop after a communications outage affected air traffic operations. The restriction temporarily halted departures from airports across the US, although some coastal facilities were earlier allowed to release international flights.
The FAA subsequently lifted the ground stop. However, the clearance did not immediately restore normal operations, with airlines warning of continuing delays and cancellations.
American Airlines said some flights from selected airports had begun receiving clearance to depart, while cautioning that further disruption remained possible. It also advised passengers to check their flight status and review its travel alert for available options.
US Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said the authorities had acted as a precaution following the telecommunications outage. He added that there was no indication at that stage that the incident was a deliberate attack.
“There is no indication as of yet that this was a nefarious attack,” he said.
The exact cause of the communications failure was not specified in the initial notice.