Thousands of planes grounded in America. The system went haywire for just under half an hour Notice to Air Mission – NOTAM – and it is the second time this has happened within a few days. Biden considered the hypothesis of a hacker attack asking the Secretary of Transportation Buttigieg to conduct a rapid investigation.
Cyber experts have announced that it will be possible to know the cause of the problem if it is an external attack or an anomaly in the system software. The fact that the Federal Aviation Administration was able to restore traffic relatively quickly seems to rule out a hostile operation.
But how is it possible that a fundamental system for air traffic can jam so easily and frequently?
Analysts argue that even a simple malfunction during theUpdate of a software program to block these devices. If this were the case, it would have to be ensured that there are systems in place in the future back-up able to intervene in time.
The Notam stopped at 20 and for 28 minutes on Tuesday evening, during the night the technicians used telephone lines to remedy, but apparently it was not enough to restore regular flying activity.
It is not the first case of malfunctions of IT platforms dedicated to flight activity. During the Christmas holidays the Southwest Airlines had to cancel more than 16.700 flights, with damages calculated between 725 and 825 million dollars, due to a malfunction in the system to manage crews.
However, the Notam's malfunction is much more serious because safety in the skies is at stake. Among the contributing causes identified by observers is the fact that the FAA does not have a permanent top command and therefore is unable to program procedures and revisions of existing and most likely outdated systems with the necessary continuity. Former Trump-appointed chief Stephen Dickson left in March, replaced on an interim basis by security chief Billy Nolen. Biden has nominated Phillip Washington as successor, but last year he did not have a hearing in the Senate for confirmation.
What is the NOTAM
The NOTAM (Notice to airmen) is a notice containing information relating to the establishment, status or changes to any aeronautical system, service, procedure or relating to dangerous conditions for air navigation, the timely knowledge of which is essential for the personnel involved in flight operations.
In addition to the clear message, the NOTAM contains coded strings that have a specific meaning. In common diffusion and in some operational areas, only the main body of the message is usually reported, omitting any coded strings. The following example will analyze the complete NOTAM format (called "raw"), ie how it is distributed through aeronautical telecommunications systems. The official consultation for flight operations takes place through a Preflight Information Bulletin which can be requested from the competent ARO. Various websites are available for online consultation, including the official Self Briefing made available by ENAV, or for information purposes the Briefing Room section of the Aeronautical Desk for the Italian ones or the FAA portal where it is sufficient to enter the ICAO code on “Locations” and click "Search".