FAA lifts nationwide ground stop after hours of flight disruption in US

Airlines and airports are gradually resuming flight operations after the US FAA lifted a nationwide ground stop that disrupted thousands of flights across the United States.

The restriction followed a telecommunications outage that affected air traffic control facilities across the US, forcing authorities to halt departing flights for more than four hours.

US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy confirmed that American airspace had reopened at 8:15pm Eastern Time, but cautioned that restoring normal flight schedules would take time.

The disruption triggered thousands of flight cancellations and delays, leaving passengers stranded at airports and forcing airlines to rearrange aircraft and crew schedules.

Airports in Canada and Mexico also experienced disruptions as flights to and from the United States were affected. 

Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said there was no indication that the incident resulted from a cyberattack.

Although the ground stop has been lifted, airlines have warned that disruptions could continue as aircraft and crew are repositioned and flight schedules gradually return to normal.

Passengers have been advised to check directly with their airlines for updated flight information before heading to airports.