Global flight delays continue after US ordered rare nationwide ground stop

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Weary travellers braced for more delays and cancellations as flights resumed from US airports after being grounded for four hours due to a major outage on outdated communications…

An information board at Chicago O'Hare International Airport after the Federal Aviation Administration ordered a nationwide ground stop following a communication issue impacting air traffic control centres across the United States. Photo / Getty Images

Weary travellers braced for more delays and cancellations as flights resumed from US airports after being grounded for four hours due to a major outage on outdated communications systems.

Friday’s nationwide 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 to be in the dark about unfolding events.

More than 20,000 flights were affected by the stoppage, and the consequences were felt across the industry, with more than 3900 US flights already cancelled Saturday and another 2500 delayed, according to tracking website FlightAware.

In the UK flights were cancelled or delayed after the US communications failure. As the UK is a hub from international travellers connecting to flights throughout Europe, the UK’s Civil Aviation Authority has warned that the ripple effect of disruption could affect millions of travellers.

US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy sought to assure Americans it remained “safe to fly” but warned it would take time to resume normal service.

He said: “Operations are slowly returning to normal this morning. Planes are pushing back, taxiing, and taking off, and it is safe to fly.

“You will continue to see some delays and cancellations as carriers reschedule flights and reposition aircraft/crews where they are needed most.”

It was only the second time such a ground stoppage had been issued in US airspace - which is among the busiest in the world - since the 9/11 attacks.

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