Computers Tie Up East Coast Flights

Thursday’s turning out not to be a great day to fly. According to the Federal Aviation Administration, at 6 a.m. Thursday morning the computer system that generates flight plans for the entire East Coast developed a problem. The flight system, located in Atlanta, has a backup in Salt Lake City. According to CNN, the system is the same one that failed in August 2008. The upshot is that the air traffic control system for the East Coast is only operating at 40-50 percent of its usual volume, as controllers have to manually input takeoff and landing data manually. Inclement weather in the Northeast is contributing to delays as well. The problem is expected to ripple outward to the rest of the country as more flights are scheduled in the Midwest and West.