FAA says technical problem causes East Coast flight delays

WASHINGTON (AP) — Flights bound for the Washington area and some flights from airports in the New York City area that must fly over the Washington region were being delayed or grounded Saturday due to “technical issues” at an air traffic control center in Virginia, the Federal Aviation Administration said.

The agency is investigating an automation problem at an air traffic center in Leesburg, Virginia, FAA spokeswoman Kathleen Bergen said. The center handles high-altitude air traffic for a region that includes Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, Washington’s Reagan National Airport and Dulles International Airport.

The FAA said it is directing high-altitude flights around the affected airspace. The problem is not believed to be caused by any accident or hacking.

More