US officials have blamed old equipment for the technical issue that led to the US ground stop, saying a “complete overhaul” is needed.

US air traffic control systems are notoriously antiquated. Just this month, the Federal Aviation Administration said it would replace outdated floppy disks at more than 400 sites by the end of 2028.

The disks date back to the 1980s and contain vital weather and other critical information.

“Good news America: floppy disks are out, 21st century tech is in,” US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said at the time.

There is no indication that floppy disks were behind the latest issue, but Duffy said last night that $50bn (£37.8bn) was needed to revamp the “incredibly old air traffic control system”, calling on Congress to “give us the resources”.

He also said there would be more failures if the old system was not updated.

(Source: BBC)