Markwayne Mullin Says No Sign of Attack as U.S. Flights Are Halted

Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said Friday, Nov. 13, that there was no indication the United States had been hit by a cyberattack. Speaking at the White House, he said a communications failure was behind the suspension of air traffic, and that there was no reason to believe the disruption posed a threat to the country.

“There is no indication, and no reason to believe, that this represents a threat to the United States at this time,” Mullin told reporters. He described the cause as a telecommunications failure and said, “This is not another 9/11.” He added that, so far, there was no indication of a hostile attack.

The Federal Aviation Administration said the stoppage was ordered Friday afternoon because of safety concerns and extraordinary circumstances. About 3,100 aircraft were in the air awaiting permission to land, according to Flight Radar. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said earlier that a communications problem had affected every air traffic control center in the country.

The last nationwide halt to U.S. takeoffs was in January 2023, after a failure in the system used to notify pilots. Before that, the measure had been taken following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Flights arriving from abroad were not automatically covered by the restriction; the FAA said each operation would be assessed individually based on safety conditions.