Washington. America's air traffic has not been completely back on track on Saturday after a major technical and communication problem on Friday. Despite the lifting of the ban on flights across the country, a big challenge remains for the airline companies to normalize operations. Within the US, out of the US and arriving in the country on Saturday More than 2,000 flights canceled While more than 300 flights are expected to be delayed.
According to flight data tracker FlightAware, the situation became even more serious on Friday. nationwide More than 7,700 flights canceled Had to do, whereas More than 8,000 flights delayed Was recorded. On Friday, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) had banned flights across the country after communication problems were reported at air traffic control centers.
Flights started, but the crisis is not completely over
Some planes started flying again on Friday evening and major airlines also stepped up efforts to resume operations. However, due to sudden cancellation of a large number of flights, the entire schedule of planes and crew at the airports has been disrupted.
Now the biggest challenge before the airline companies is to eliminate the backlog created due to canceled flights and to rearrange the availability of aircraft and crew. Passengers have also been advised to be prepared for problems like delays and cancellations of flights till the weekend.
Trump's emphasis on modernization of air transport infrastructure
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump has appealed to Congress to quickly pass a law to modernize the country's air traffic infrastructure. According to CNN, Trump spoke over the phone with Republican Senator Eric Schmidt on Friday night and stressed the need for immediate legislative action to modernize critical infrastructure related to aviation, including air traffic control systems, airport towers, terminals.
Senator Eric Schmidt in September Modern Skies Act Was presented. This proposed bill would provide additional funding to modernize America's aviation infrastructure. $30 billion federal aid It is proposed to provide. Schmidt wants this amount to be included in the budget reconciliation process, so that it can be approved quickly.
Funding proposal was sent just hours before flight stoppage
According to sources, the Trump administration had sent a letter to Congress just hours before the nationwide flight ban was imposed on Friday morning, requesting to provide an additional $ 30 billion for aviation sector infrastructure.
The letter was sent by Russ Vought, director of the White House Office of Management and Budget, and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy to the leadership of the Senate Appropriations Committee.
Duffy also called for strengthening the aviation system during the press briefing. $50 billion funding Told as necessary. The flight disruptions that unfolded Friday have reignited debate over the need to modernize communications systems and aging infrastructure in America's aviation network.
At present, airline companies are making continuous efforts to normalize flight operations and take passengers to their destinations, but the huge backlog created on Friday seems to be affecting air traffic on Saturday also.