Software upgrade grounds hundreds of flights over US east coast

FAA says 'technical issues' with an air traffic control computer undergoing a software update caused 492 flight delays and 476 cancellations over weekend

Hundreds of flights across the east coast of the US were delayed or cancelled at the weekend due to a software upgrade, the US Federal Aviation Administration has said.

"Technical issues" with a Virginia air traffic control centre caused 492 flight delays and 476 cancellations, the FAA said. Saturday air traffic at the Baltimore-Washington International Airport was reduced by 30%, by 28% at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and 12% at Dulles International Airport.