Update: According to the Federal Aviation Administration, an automation system that experienced problems earlier today is back in service. The agency is working with airlines to return to normal operations. They are continuing to work to determine what caused the problem.
You can check the status of your flight in Norfolk by clicking here or in Newport News by clicking here.
Norfolk, Va. – More than 50 flights have been delayed or canceled at Norfolk and Newport News/Williamsburg International Airports amid Federal Aviation Administration computer problems.
Robert Bowen with Norfolk International Airport says just about every airliner is experiencing a number of delays and cancelations as a result of today’s technical malfunctions. He says Norfolk is on standby as the issue is being fixed in the northeast.
According to the Norfolk International Airport website there are about 52 delayed or cancelled flights as of 3:00 p.m.
Some travelers told NewsChannel 3 they had to completely cancel vacation plans.
“We were going to check-in to the Doubletree Hotel and go on a wonderful sight-seeing tour of Minneapolis,” says Carlene Huling, of Virginia Beach. “We’ve had this planned for a year. You learn to roll with the punches but this one was very hard.”
Newport News International Airport has been affected by the malfunctions as well. Spokeswoman Jessica Wharton told us so far one United Airways flight has been canceled and one Delta flight has been delayed.
She also spoke with FAA officials who told her that they are working diligently to fix the glitches, but are unsure of when everything will be resolved.
CNN is reporting that an unspecified problem emerged in a computer system that processes flight plans at the Washington Air Route Traffic Control Center in Leesburg, Virginia, forcing the FAA to temporarily halt all planes at the D.C.-area’s three major airports, according to the FAA. They also say that the problem affected planes that were in the sky at the time of the computer problem, with “high-altitude traffic” diverted around the center’s airspace, FAA spokeswoman Kathleen Bergen said.
Bowen & Wharton both say they encourage travelers to check the status of their flight before heading to the airport as they anticipate more delays and cancelations throughout the afternoon into the evening.
Stay with NewsChannel 3 and WTKR.com as we keep you up-to-date on delays and cancelations.
