US-bound flights out of Australia delayed after telecommunications outage grounded American planes

Some US-bound flights from Sydney airport were grounded or delayed on Saturday after American authorities halted departures and delayed landings at all US airports .

Flights from Melbourne airport were also affected, with travel for passengers expected to depart for Los Angeles shortly after 10am being delayed by almost three hours.

Sydney airport confirmed the US ban on flight arrivals was lifted shortly before 1pm, although it was not known how this would impact delays.

Earlier, the airport confirmed some US-bound flights had been grounded.

“We are aware of the nationwide ground stop issued by the US Federal Aviation Administration and are monitoring the situation closely,” the spokesperson said.

“Passengers travelling to or via the United States should check with their airline for the latest information regarding their flight.”

Passengers on US bound flights from Sydney Airport reported being stuck on the tarmac for three hours before eventually departing. One plane required extra fuel after running air-conditioning for several hours while waiting.

The FAA announced the nationwide pause in response to “a temporary telecommunications outage”. It has since lifted the grounding order, as it continued to investigate the cause of the outage.

Passengers on two US-bound flights from Melbourne airport, which were due to depart at 12pm and 12.45pm, were also delayed due to the situation in the US.

A flight to Dallas, scheduled for 10am, departed at around 1pm, shortly after the US ban was lifted.

By 3pm Saturday, all delayed flights from Melbourne had departed.

Qantas thanked passengers for their patience and recommended people with upcoming flights to the US to check its website for more information.

Four flights from Brisbane were also delayed.. Two had departed by 3pm on Saturday.

“Passengers travelling to North America are advised to contact their airline for the latest information about their flight,” a Brisbane Airport spokesperson said.

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