DUFFY: FLIGHT SUSPENSIONS NOT CAUSED BY CYBERATTACK

WASHINGTON, NOVEMBER 14 /SRNA/ - US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said that the nationwide flight suspensions were not caused by a cyberattack, but by the replacement of copper wires with fibre-optic cables in telecommunications lines.

Duffy said the network was being overloaded by around 1,000 connection attempts every four to five seconds.

According to him, it is now “safe to fly” following the flight ban issued by the Federal Aviation Administration /FAA/. However, he warned that delays and cancellations remain possible as airlines adjust their flight schedules and reassign crews.

He reiterated his call for Congress to provide more funding to invest in a “state-of-the-art” air traffic control system.

He called on lawmakers arriving in Washington after the midterm elections to work together to approve an additional $30 billion for the new system.

Duffy noted that operations were now "slowly returning to normal" following nationwide disruptions.

"Our priority right now is to ensure that passengers get home safely to their families as soon as possible," Duffy said, thanking air traffic controllers, pilots and flight crews for their efforts, the Baha news portal reported.