US Homeland Security Secretary: Airport Communication Outage Under Investigation, No Evidence of Deliberate Attack
The US Homeland Security Secretary confirmed that investigations into the airport communication outage are ongoing, with no evidence of a deliberate attack, as Trump directs the provision of resources.
Translated by Qiyas from كونا — Original source
Washington, Nov 13 (KUNA) – U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Mark Esper said on Friday that the communications outage that led to the postponement and cancellation of approximately 7,000 flights in the United States does not resemble the events of September 11, clarifying that the incident involves a disruption in communications services and is entirely different in nature.
In remarks to the U.S. Fox News network, Esper stated that restoring communications services at airports and returning air traffic to normal could take some time, noting that President Donald Trump had directed that all necessary resources be made available to address the malfunction. He added that the priority is to restore communications and ensure the safe landing of all aircraft before working to return air traffic to normal operations, emphasizing that there is no reason for citizens to fear or worry about the safety of their traveling relatives.
Esper clarified that U.S. authorities are considering the possibility of a cyberattack among the scenarios being investigated as part of the probe, but have not yet determined the cause of the outage, stressing that there are no indications that airports were targeted by a deliberate cyberattack. He pointed out that initial reports rule out a cyberattack as the cause of the disruption to air traffic at several U.S. airports.
Earlier on Friday, the Federal Aviation Administration imposed a nationwide ground stop on all departures from U.S. airports, following “a communications malfunction,” according to U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy. (End) A.M.M. / M.A.H.A.
