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Computer Glitch Delays Airline Flights Around the Country

Air travelers faced flight delays due to a computer glitch affecting the FAA's Atlanta-based system, causing ground stops nationwide.

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Air travelers around the country saw their flights delayed this morning, thanks to a computer glitch.

The problem, which occured [sic] in the Atlanta-based computer system that provides data about flight plans, has forced air controllers to input the information manually, said Arlene Salac, FAA spokeswoman in New York [Reuters]

. The Federal Aviation Administration tried to assure travelers that the problem wasn't a safety concern; rather it fouled up ground stops and caused delays. The problems began a little after 5 a.m. Eastern time, and hit Atlanta's busy airport the hardest.

One passenger said that a Delta Air Lines gate agent had announced that the glitch prevented pilots from accessing flight plans, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported [The New York Times]

. The computer problem has been fixed, though

FAA spokeswoman Kathleen Bergen said she doesn't know how many flights have been affected [MSNBC]

. And today's glitch was the ...

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