Amman, November 14 (Petra) – The Civil Aviation Regulatory Commission (CARC) is monitoring developments following a technical malfunction that disrupted communication and radar systems at several airports in the United States. CARC issued a statement Saturday saying the malfunction prompted the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to temporarily suspend departing flights. It led to the cancellation and delay of thousands of domestic and international flights.
Captain Daifallah Farajat, CARC Chief Commissioner, stated that the Commission immediately contacted national carrier Royal Jordanian Airlines to assess the impact of the disruption on its flights to and from the United States.
Farajat said that Royal Jordanian flights bound for Dallas and Detroit had landed safely at their respective destinations before the suspension of air traffic. Following the reopening of US airspace, flights from Chicago and Detroit departed as scheduled.
Farajat added that return flights experienced limited delays ranging from one to two hours, including a delay of approximately 90 minutes for the flight from Dallas.
He attributed the delays to operational disruptions affecting domestic connecting flights within the United States, which subsequently impacted international flights bound for Amman.
The CARC said the unprecedented technical disruption affecting the global aviation sector highlights the importance of Jordan's proactive approach to modernising its aviation infrastructure and strengthening the resilience of air navigation systems.
It noted that US Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy had warned that similar failures could recur unless tens of billions of dollars were invested in modernising air traffic control systems and developing new navigation infrastructure.
The Commission explained that Jordan's strategic approach is the result of sustained technical and institutional efforts led by CARC, in close coordination with the government and the Ministry of Transport.
The efforts have focused on identifying the aviation sector's technical and operational needs and priorities, while emphasising the importance of upgrading navigation, surveillance and communication systems in line with the latest international standards and technologies.
Such upgrades are essential to ensuring the safety and efficiency of Jordanian airspace management and maintaining the sustainability of air navigation services, the Commission said.
It added that the joint efforts culminated in a Cabinet decision to allocate JD14 million from air transit revenues to modernize and develop navigation, surveillance and communication systems.
//Petra// AK
