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Thousands of travelers frustrated after computer crash prompts massive delays at U.S. airports

Click to play video: 'Thousands of travelers frustrated after computer crash prompts massive delays at U.S. airports'
Thousands of travelers frustrated after computer crash prompts massive delays at U.S. airports
WATCH ABOVE: Several videos posted to social media show just how cramped it got at airports in Miami, FL and Atlanta, GA Monday after a computer crash halted air travel. – Jan 3, 2017

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. Customs and Border Protection issued a statement Monday saying a processing system outage caused delays at various airports.

CBP officers continued processing international travelers using “alternative procedures” until the system came back online but waits were longer than usual at some airports, according to the statement.

Officers still had access to national security databases and all travelers were screened according to security standards during the outage, the CBP said.

The release does not give a cause for the disruption but said it doesn’t seem to be malicious.

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In Atlanta, CBP public affairs officer Robert Brisley said the outage at the city’s airport lasted about an hour from late afternoon into early evening. He said that officers were working to recover quickly afterward but even short outages can lead to backups at the airport, one of the world’s busiest.

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He said the agency apologizes to travelers who were delayed getting into the country after long flights.

WATCH: Passengers discuss their ordeal after computer outage prompts massive delays at multiple U.S. airports

Click to play video: 'Technical issue with U.S. Customs brings airports to standstill'
Technical issue with U.S. Customs brings airports to standstill

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