The Department of Homeland Security’s computer system that checks airline passengers against the nation’s terror watch lists went down briefly on Wednesday night, causing airport delays, officials said.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection told NBC News that the outage lasted about 90 minutes and the system was up and running again just after 9 p.m.
Officials said the problem originated in the processing systems in the computers and kiosks used by passengers arriving at U.S. airports.
“In the meantime, CBP officers processed international travelers using alternative procedures until systems were back on line,” Customs and Border Protection said in a statement. “At this time, there is no indication the service disruption was malicious in nature.”
The outage slowed down screenings at major airports, including John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in Georgia, Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport in Texas and Charlotte Douglas International in North Carolina.
• Kellan Howell can be reached at khowell@washingtontimes.com.
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