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 second such one in 15 months. Related Content: Discoblog: Airlines, Desperate to Lower Fuel Costs, Turn to GPS Discoblog: So It Is a Disease? United Airlines to Double-Charge Obese Fliers DISCOVER: Map: Flight Path Pandemonium
Image: flickr/ eschipul
