Florida flights delayed because of laptop glitch By Reuters



© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: A Southwest airplane takes off at Tampa Worldwide Airport as airports throughout the nation look ahead to Verizon and AT&T to roll out their 5G know-how, in Tampa, Florida, U.S. January 19, 2022. REUTERS/ octavio jones

(Reuters) – Issues with an air visitors management system are inflicting flight delays at main Florida airports, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) mentioned on Monday because it labored to repair the most recent glitch to hamper air journey in the USA.

“The FAA has slowed visitors quantity in Florida airspace because of an air visitors laptop concern that’s being resolved,” the US regulator mentioned in an announcement.

The problem includes a system often called En Route Automation Modernization (ERAM) used to regulate air visitors, the regulator mentioned, with out offering additional particulars.

The issue emerged after a large winter storm hampered air journey through the Christmas vacation season, crippling operations at low-cost airline Southwest Airways (NYSE:), which canceled hundreds of flights.

A Miami Worldwide Airport spokesperson mentioned roughly 10 arriving flights and 10 departing flights have been delayed prior to now two hours as a result of FAA’s so-called floor cease order, a measure underneath which the regulator can decelerate or cease air visitors over a specified airspace.

The delays have been equal to a couple of fifth of its regular volumes through the interval, the MIA spokesperson mentioned.

A spokesperson for Orlando Worldwide Airport, whose three-letter code is MCO, mentioned the airport doesn’t count on any main delays.

“Attributable to an FAA screening plan put in place to assist handle the circulation of air visitors at Florida airports, together with MCO, some flights could also be affected in the present day,” the spokesperson mentioned. .

Though indirectly coated by the bottom cease order, Tampa Worldwide Airport might nonetheless see some inbound flights affected, an airport spokesperson mentioned.

(Reporting by Nathan Layne; Enhancing by David Gregorio and Grant McCool)