close video Biden says FAA outage cause may not be known for ‘a couple hours

President Biden said Wednesday the cause of the FAA Notice to Air Missions system outage may not be clear for “a couple hours,” and he said he did not know if it was related to a cyber attack.

President Biden on Wednesday said it may be hours before the cause of the ongoing Federal Aviation Administration outage is discovered.

Planes have been ground in the U.S. until 9 a.m. ET, though departures are resuming at Newark Liberty and Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson airports, due to congestion there.

"I just spoke with [Transportation Secretary Pete] Buttigieg. They don't know what the cause is. I told him to report directly to me when they find out," Biden told reporters before departing with first lady Jill Biden to Walter Reed National Medical Center for her scheduled outpatient procedure. 

The president said it could be "a couple hours" before the cause is known.

Earlier, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the president has ordered a full investigation to determine the cause of the outage.

"The President has been briefed by the Secretary of Transportation this morning on the FAA system outage. There is no evidence of a cyberattack at this point," she said. 

This is a developing story and will be updated.