FAA outage: US airline regulator blames contractor for delay & cancellations of flights

The FAA has announced that a contractor's mistake caused a computer glitch that resulted in travel disruptions at airports last week, as per a report from BBC news. The contractor accidentally deleted files on the Notice to Air Missions (Notam) database, which is a crucial system that informs pilots of potential hazards on flight routes and is required to be checked before flights. Officials have pledged to investigate the issue further.

On January 11th, over 11,000 flights were delayed and 1,300 were cancelled due to technical issues with the Notice to Airmen (Notam) system. This marked the first time since the September 11th attacks that flights across the US were grounded. The FAA stated that the cause of the problem was a contractor's mistake, who deleted files while attempting to sync the primary and backup Notam databases. The FAA further said that there was no evidence of a cyber-attack or malicious intent. The agency also said that they were still investigating the error, and have fixed the problem and taken steps to make the Notam system more resilient.

FAA had blamed 'damaged database file'

Previously, the FAA had said that the system failure was caused by a "damaged database file." However, it has now been revealed that the outage was caused by a contractor's mistake. A group of lawmakers from Washington DC have criticized the incident as "completely unacceptable" and have requested a meeting with the FAA to discuss how similar incidents can be prevented in the future. The FAA's acting Administrator, Billy Nolen, plans to hold a virtual briefing for the lawmakers on Friday to address their concerns.

What are NOTAMs?

A Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) is a notice issued by an aviation authority to provide information about any unusual circumstances that may affect the safety of aircraft operations. NOTAMs are used to communicate information about changes in the status of navigation aids, runway closures, airspace restrictions, and other information that may impact the safe operation of aircraft. NOTAMs are typically issued for temporary changes in the operational environment, such as construction on a runway or the presence of a temporary obstacle, and are intended to be a way for pilots to stay informed of the latest information about the airspace they will be flying in. The FAA is responsible for issuing NOTAMs in the United States. They are usually accessible to pilots through a special database, and they are required to check it before flying.