Sydney Airport halts flights to the US amid order to ground all planes

Detailed summary

The decision from Australia’s busiest airport came shortly before White House officials decided to lift the order.

Sydney Airport has halted flights to the US after the nation issued a rare order to ground all planes.

A “temporary telecommunications outage” is behind the travel chaos, according to the US Federal Aviation Administration, which cited air traffic control issues and “extraordinary circumstances”.

“We are aware of the nationwide ground stop issued by the US Federal Aviation Administration and are monitoring the situation closely,” a Sydney Airport spokesperson told 7NEWS.com.au.

“At this stage, some US bound flights due to depart Sydney Airport are grounded.“Passengers travelling to or via the United States should check with their airline for the latest information regarding their flight.”

The FAA has now lifted the ground order in the US, but the extent of the flow on effects remains unclear.

The resumption of US flights comes after more than four hours of uncertainty, with thousands of delays and cancellations at major airports.

7NEWS.com.au understands Sydney Airport had been handling the situation dynamically with half-hourly check-ins with US counterparts.

Now that the US ground stop has been lifted, it is unclear when exactly the halted flights from Sydney will resume.

The FAA order to ground services was directed to all international flights bound for the continental US.

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