COMPUTER GLITCH CAUSES FLIGHT DELAYS

Last Updated: Tuesday, August 26, 2008, 20:50Computer glitch causes US air traffic delays

Air traffic at more than two dozen major airports across the United States was delayed this afternoon due to a communications network problem, according to the Federal Aviation Administration's website.The Department of Homeland Security declined to comment, referring calls to the FAA.CNN said air safety was not affected and the FAA has not lost contact with any of the 5,825 flights in the air.The computer glitch occurred at an FAA facility south of Atlanta, CNN reported.2008 irishtimes.com

FAA computer problems causing flight delays Story Highlights.FAA facility south of Atlanta, Georgia, having problems processing data.All flight-plan information must be processed by facility in Salt Lake City, Utah.Unknown number of flights delayed by glitch. AUG 26,08

ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- Every major airport in the United States was experiencing flight delays Tuesday afternoon because of a communications breakdown at a Federal Aviation Administration facility, the administration said.Flights at Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport were delayed Tuesday afternoon.The facility south of Atlanta is having problems processing data, requiring that all flight-plan information be processed through a facility in Salt Lake City, Utah. The two facilities process all flight plans for commercial and general aviation flights in the United States, said FAA spokeswoman Kathleen Bergen.The administration said there are no radar outages and said they have not lost contact with any planes. The flights currently in the air have flight plans and should arrive safely at their destinations, said CNN aviation expert Miles O'Brien.But that doesn't mean the situation won't cause headaches at the airport. This has potential as time goes on to turn into a much bigger mess, O'Brien said.The problem appeared similar to a June 8, 2007, computer glitch that caused severe flight delays and some cancellations along the East Coast.

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On the FAA's Web site, delays were being reported at all 40 airports located on the administration's flight information map.The Web site, which normally lists the length of expected flight delays, was no longer listing that information Tuesday afternoon.The total number of flights affected was unknown.