The technological advances in air traffic control are not always creating more efficiency in the system. A power surge at Belgocontrol in Brussels, which controls the airspace up to 24,500 feet over Belgium and higher elevations above Luxembourg, has wreaked havoc on the air traffic in Europe, causing major delays and cancellations. The Brussels airport and the associated airspace was shut down for several hours.
Reuters reported that the power surge not only affected the main electrical system, but the backup generators as well, causing the airspace to shut down completely. A cause for the surge has not yet been found.
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