L3Harris, the contractor Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy blamed for the nationwide US ground stop, says it is supporting the FAA's investigation. It neither accepts nor rejects his suggestion of contractor error.
"We are supporting the FAA in its investigation to understand the conditions that led to the Nov. 13 ground stop of our nation's air travel," an L3Harris spokesperson said in a statement to Yahoo News and CNN on Saturday 14 November. The company also responded to Fox.
In its statement to CNN, L3Harris said it "has been modernizing the communications infrastructure supporting the National Airspace System in close coordination with the FAA".
Yahoo News asked whether L3Harris employees or a partner company carried out Friday's work, and whether the company disputes Duffy's suggestion of contractor error. A spokesperson said the company had nothing beyond its statement.
Duffy said on Saturday that the fault began while telecoms lines were being switched from copper to fibre at a remote FAA site, "either through contractor error or a faulty piece of equipment". Officials have not said which. They have described the site only as "a very remote location" and have not named it.