Nationwide FAA NOTAM System Outage Causes Cancellation of Hundreds of Flights.

The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is experiencing a nationwide technical outage on Wednesday morning, causing hundreds of flights to be canceled. The failure has been reported to be in the FAA’s Notice to Air Missions (NOTAM) system, which alerts pilots and other personnel about airborne issues and other delays at airports across the country.

The FAA has stated that the system is currently being repopulated and final validation checks are being performed but has not given an estimated time for when the system will be restored.

The FAA is working to restore its Notice to Air Missions System. We are performing final validation checks and reloading the system now.

Operations across the National Airspace System are affected.

We will provide frequent updates as we make progress.

— The FAA ✈️ (@FAANews) January 11, 2023

This has prompted major airlines to ground their own craft due to the system’s failure. According to FlightAware, some 400 flights have been canceled across the US and over 1,150 flights have been delayed.

United Airlines announced it was grounding all of its aircraft until 10 a.m. ET due to the outage. This issue comes roughly a week after an air traffic issue prompted the FAA to slow all flight traffic in Florida.

Update 3: The FAA is still working to fully restore the Notice to Air Missions system following an outage.⁰⁰The FAA has ordered airlines to pause all domestic departures until 9 a.m. Eastern Time to allow the agency to validate the integrity of flight and safety information.

— The FAA ✈️ (@FAANews) January 11, 2023

What are FAA and NAS?

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is the government agency responsible for the safety and regulation of civil aviation in the United States. One of the key systems used by the FAA to control flights is the National Airspace System (NAS).

The NAS is a complex network of airspace, airports, navigation aids, and communication systems that allows for the safe and efficient operation of aircraft. It includes everything from the airspace itself to the ground-based equipment and facilities used to control and guide flights.

At the heart of the NAS is the Air Traffic Control (ATC) system, which is responsible for separating aircraft and ensuring safe and efficient flight paths. ATC uses a combination of radar and radio communications to track aircraft and provide pilots with information on their positions and altitudes.

The FAA also uses a number of other systems to control flights, including the Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) system and the Traffic Collision Avoidance System (TCAS). These systems are used to enhance safety and efficiency by providing pilots with real-time information on the positions of other aircraft and potential collisions.

The FAA also has a number of regulations in place to ensure the safety of flights, such as flight plans, air traffic rules, and weather requirements. These regulations are designed to minimize the risk of accidents and ensure that flights are operated as safely as possible.

In addition, FAA continuously works on new technology and procedures to improve the air travel experience and make it more safe and more efficient. For example, they are working on the integration of drones in the airspace, advanced navigation systems, and digital technologies that will enable aircraft to fly safely in close proximity to each other.

Overall, the FAA’s NAS and its associated systems, regulations, and technology play a critical role in ensuring the safety and efficiency of flights in the United States.