US air travel resumption will 'take time' after hours-long stop due to major outage

Résumé détaillé

The incident marked only the second time such an alert had been issued in US airspace, which is among the busiest in the world, since the 9/11 attacks ...

Flights in the United States were resuming on Saturday after being grounded for several hours due to a major communications outage, though authorities said returning to normal operations would take time.

Friday's nationwide ground stop sparked widespread chaos and left hundreds of thousands of passengers in limbo, with some pulled off planes moments before departure by airline staff who appeared in the dark about unfolding events.

The incident marked only the second time such an alert had been issued in US airspace, which is among the busiest in the world, since the 9/11 attacks.

On Saturday morning, effects of the stop were still felt at major hubs including New York's JFK airport, which showed dozens of delayed and canceled flights on its website.

At Washington's Reagan National Airport, traveler Colin Montgomery said Friday he was prepared to drive after his flight was axed.

"I got another flight that I booked for tomorrow for 6:30, just in case everything gets resolved overnight, but that seems unlikely," Montgomery told AFP.

"We're trying to debate whether or not we need to reschedule or drive or what, but if the whole country is stopped, that means the highways are going to be jammed too," said Joseph Anderson, 72, who was trying to fly from Las Vegas to Oakland, California.

The ground stop lasted around four hours and was lifted at 8:15 pm Eastern Time (0115 GMT Saturday).

US Federal Aviation Administration officials reopened the airspace "after restoring full functionality" at air traffic control facilities, according to Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy.

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