US denies AI link to airport chaos after 16,000 flights canceled

Federal Aviation Administration Administrator Brian Bedford has confirmed there is no evidence linking recent disruptions at US airports to artificial intelligence systems, explaining that investigations point to faults in equipment and technical systems. This comes as communications systems stabilize and flight operations gradually resume, following the cancellation of more than 16,000 flights on Friday and Saturday.

Speaking at a press conference, Bedford said tens of thousands of travelers were affected by the airport disruptions, and he expected between 4,000 and 5,000 additional flights to be canceled on Saturday, despite the stabilization of communications systems.

He stressed that available indicators do not show any connection between the outage and artificial intelligence, emphasizing that the issue is related to equipment and that efforts are ongoing to identify the specific component responsible for the malfunction.

For his part, US Transportation Secretary Sean Doody explained that the technical failure was linked to the transition from old communications systems to modern ones, noting that ongoing upgrades have included replacing outdated copper lines with fiber optics, and that the problem affected older devices and equipment.

He confirmed that the department does not believe the incident was caused by a cyberattack, adding that more than 3,500 aircraft were in the air when the order to halt flights was issued, and all were safely managed and returned.

Doody noted that flight operations have begun to gradually return to normal after the fault was addressed and systems were restarted, though some delays and cancellations continue due to the need to redistribute aircraft and crews.

He also stated that 69% of old communications equipment has been replaced with modern systems, but emphasized the need to complete the upgrade of equipment that has been in use by the FAA for nearly 30 years.

The transportation secretary called on Congress to provide the necessary funding to complete the modernization of air traffic control and communications systems, stressing that current resources are insufficient for the required upgrades. He urged both Republican and Democratic parties to cooperate in developing the technical infrastructure of the US aviation sector and replacing outdated systems to ensure stable flight operations.