ATLANTA - A problem with the FAA system that collects airlines' flight plans caused widespread flight cancellations and delays nationwide Thursday.
FAA spokeswoman Kathleen Bergen said she doesn't know how many flights are being affected or when the problem will be resolved.
An AirTran Airways spokesman said there's no danger to flights in the air, and flights are still taking off and landing.
However, spokesman Christopher White said flight plans are having to be loaded manually because of a malfunction with the automated system.
"Everything is safe in the air," White said.
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, the world's busiest airport, has been particularly affected.
AirTran had canceled 22 flights and dozens more flights were delayed as of 8 a.m. EST. Delta Air Lines also has been affected.
The FAA said in a statement that it is having a problem processing flight plan information.
"We are investigating the cause of the problem," the agency said. "We are processing flight plans manually and expect some delays. We have radar coverage and communications with planes."
Passengers are being asked to check the status of their flights online before going to airports.
Flight plans are collected by the FAA for traffic nationwide at two centers - one in the Salt Lake City area and the other in the Atlanta area, Bergen said. She did not know which center was affected Thursday.
In August 2008, a software malfunction delayed hundreds of flights around the country.
In that episode, the Northeast was hardest hit by the delays prompted by a glitch at the Hampton, Ga., facility that processes flight plans for the eastern half of the U.S.
The FAA said at that time the source of the computer software malfunction was a "packet switch" that "failed due to a database mismatch."
Editor's note: At last report, flight operations at Spokane International Airport are not affected.
