FAA 'years away' from upgrading system that grounded all U.S. flights

Photo by: FAA - Facebook
Photo by: FAA - Facebook

(Washington, DC) -- The FAA software that failed Wednesday is 30 years old and reportedly isn't scheduled to be upgraded for at least six years.

That's what a government source familiar with the situation told CNN on Thursday. The software failure caused thousands of flight delays and cancelations all across the country.

The source told CNN that Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg has met with top FAA officials a number of times since Wednesday's meltdown.

Buttigieg "has made it very clear" he wants the software updated a lot faster than the FAA's planned six-year timeline.