Air traffic controllers lost contact with 15 to 20 pilots flying into Denver International Airport on Monday due to multiple radio transmitter outages.
The outages occurred at the Denver Air Route Traffic Control Center in Longmont, which oversees aircraft across a nine-state region and ensures proper spacing in high-altitude airspace.
Sources say the center’s radio frequency went out around 2 p.m. for up to six minutes, forcing controllers to use emergency channels to restore communication. According to experts, air traffic outages have become a frequent issue, mostly due to aging equipment. Last month, a radar and radio failure in Philadelphia’s control center left several planes flying blind above Newark Liberty International Airport.