US Air Traffic Outage Grounds Mexico-US Flights; AICM Resumes Service
A US air traffic communications failure held Mexico-to-US flights on the ground Nov. 13. AICM says operations are back; here is what travelers face now.
A communications failure in the United States air traffic control system kept flights from Mexico to the US on the ground on Friday, Nov. 13. Mexico City International Airport (AICM) said on X the next morning that operations from its terminals had resumed, while asking passengers to keep checking with their airlines for the status of each flight.
In the United States, cancellations passed 16 thousand flights, according to Expansión. US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy wrote on X that planes were leaving gates and taking off again and that it was safe to fly, but he said travelers would still see some delays and cancellations while airlines move aircraft and crews to where they are needed.
How the US shutdown reached Mexican airports
Mexico’s Federal Civil Aviation Agency (AFAC) said on Nov. 13 that the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) had set temporary restrictions because of problems at several air traffic control centers. US authorities asked that aircraft at Mexican airports with flights scheduled to the United States stay on the ground until departures were cleared, Publimetro reported.
The order covered departures to US territory from terminals across the country, not one airline or one airport. AFAC’s notice applied only to flights bound for the United States and did not suspend domestic flights inside Mexico. When it was issued, the agency did not say how long the restrictions would last, which airports or airlines were most affected, or how many flights could be hit. AFAC said it was keeping in contact with the relevant authorities to report when operations to the US restarted.
In the US, the FAA also halted takeoffs at its own airports for a time. Air traffic control centers coordinate aircraft movements and keep planes separated in flight, and when their communications fail, authorities can limit operations to reduce risk.
What US officials say caused it
Government officials said the stoppage came from a major communications outage, not from any “malicious attack.” Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin told reporters there was no cyberattack and no connection to the Microsoft outage that disrupted services worldwide. Duffy said US airspace had reopened by Friday night and blamed “old hardware” for the chaos at airports.
Expansión reported that the grounding has raised serious concerns in the United States about the country’s aging infrastructure and how exposed it may be to cyberattacks.
What it means for travelers flying from Mexico City
A temporary hold did not automatically mean a cancellation. Under AFAC’s notice, a flight could be delayed until clearance arrived, and any final change has to come from the airline. AFAC pointed passengers to the official channels of their airline and departure airport, and AICM made the same request after service resumed. Airlines send updates by email, text message and their apps, and the FAA publishes the status of US air operations.
Travelers whose flights were canceled or significantly changed can ask the airline about other options, including new dates, rebooking and possible refunds. The US Department of Transportation sets refund rights for flights to, from or within the United States when a flight is canceled or changed significantly and the passenger turns down the alternatives offered, Publimetro noted. In Mexico, the Federal Consumer Protection Agency (Profeco) explains travelers’ rights in delays and cancellations, though any extra compensation depends on the cause and on how much responsibility falls on the airline. Publimetro also suggested keeping tickets, receipts and any messages about changes to a flight.
Duffy said airlines were still rescheduling flights and repositioning planes and crews, and he called getting travelers home safely and quickly the top priority.
Sources: Expansión, Publimetro México
