FAA computer glitch reportedly grounds flights across the US

A critical Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) system has suffered a glitch, grounding flights across the US according to media reports. The FAA posted an advisory notice early Wednesday which notes that the United States NOTAM (Notice to Air Mission) system has “failed” and that engineers are working to bring it back online.

“The FAA is working to restore its Notice to Air Missions System,” the FAA said in a statement. “We are performing final validation checks and repopulating the system now. Operations across the National Airspace System are affected.” It added that it will provide “frequent updates” as work progresses.

NOTAM is a critical system that keeps pilots and other flight personnel informed of the status of airports across the country, Reuters reports. It can offer information on runway closures, bird hazards, and other obstacles. NBC News reports that the system failure has forced all flights across the US to be grounded, delaying over 700 flights and causing almost 100 to be cancelled.