FAA NOTAM System Restored After Brief Outage
The Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) NOTAM computer system is back online and operational following a temporary outage that disrupted flight operations across the United States. On February 2, 2025, the FAA issued a statement confirming that its system—critical for providing timely safety updates for flights—had been fully restored after a one‑day interruption that began on February 1.
The NOTAM system (Notice to Air Missions) is essential for relaying information about any hazards or changes that may affect the safety of flight. It informs pilots, airlines, and ground personnel of factors such as runway closures, obstacles, weather conditions, and other important safety notifications. When the system went down, it left the aviation community scrambling for alternative ways to access vital preflight information.
US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy provided timely updates on social media. In his initial post on X (formerly Twitter) on the day of the outage, Duffy confirmed that “all active NOTAMs were available until the time of the outage.” The FAA then activated its contingency system to ensure that pilots and airlines could continue their preflight briefings and maintain flight operations despite the disruption.
Duffy emphasized that while the contingency measures were effective, the FAA was working diligently to fully restore the primary NOTAM system. “The FAA is working to fully restore the system, and there may be some residual delays tomorrow morning,” he stated in a follow‑up message. The agency has since set up a dedicated hotline to keep aviation stakeholders informed, issuing updates every 30 minutes regarding the system’s status and the progress of restoration efforts.
The impact of the outage was significant. FlightAware data indicated that on the first day of the incident there were 3,226 delays and 174 cancellations for flights within, into, or out of the United States. The following day, disruptions increased with 4,875 delays and 277 cancellations recorded. However, once the NOTAM system was restored on February 3, flight disruptions dropped dramatically, with only 496 delays and 101 cancellations reported that day.
During a press conference with CNN, Secretary Duffy underscored the importance of upgrading the aging NOTAM system. “There’s a process in place right now to get this system fixed,” he explained. “We want to expedite that and get this new system in place. This is an old system that needs to be upgraded.” His comments highlighted the FAA’s commitment not only to restoring service quickly in times of disruption but also to investing in more modern, resilient technology for the future.
This recent incident recalls a similar global IT outage in July 2024, which led to thousands of flight delays and cancellations worldwide, with over 46,000 flights delayed and more than 5,000 canceled on the first day alone. That previous event underscored the vulnerability of critical aviation infrastructure and the necessity for robust, upgraded systems.
As the aviation industry moves forward, the swift resolution of the FAA’s NOTAM system outage serves as a reminder of the importance of continuous modernization. Ensuring that flight safety communications remain reliable and up-to-date is paramount, especially as air travel demand continues to climb in a post-pandemic world.
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