Computer Problems Lead To A Standstill At Florida’s Airports, Causing Delays

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a countrywide ground halt for planes to and from Florida on Monday, January 2^nd,  due to a computer fault, creating travel delays until the issue was resolved.

The federal agency reduced the number of planes entering Florida airspace as a result of an air traffic computer glitch, including at major airports such as Tampa International and Miami International.

The computer problem was triggered by the En Route Automation Modernization (ERAM) system, which is used to regulate air traffic. The problem compelled the FAA to temporarily suspend flights in Florida airports.

FAA authorities declared that the problem had been resolved and that regular flight operations could continue, however, several planes throughout the nation, including around 140 at Tampa International, were delayed for several hours.

“The computer issue has been resolved,” an FAA spokesperson said. “The FAA is working toward safely returning to a normal traffic rate in the Florida airspace.”

The winter holiday travel season has been hampered by flight disruptions, with Southwest Airlines making headlines with thousands of delays and cancellations at one of the busiest periods of the year.

Chief Commercial Officer of the airline, Ryan Green, made yet another apology earlier this week and gave additional options for passengers to collect refunds, rebook their canceled flights, and locate their missing bags.

The new resource is accessible on Southwest’s website and makes it simple to obtain a refund by completing a brief form with the reservation confirmation number of the canceled trip and the passenger’s first and last name. Another form is available for misplaced baggage under the FAQ section.