Flights from Australia to the US delayed after telecommunications outage halts American air traffic

Several flights from Australian airports to the United States were delayed or grounded on Saturday, 14 November, after the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the body that oversees American air traffic, temporarily stopped departures and delayed landings at all US airports. Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane airports were affected, and some passengers faced long waits.

What happened

The FAA said it had issued the nationwide pause in response to a temporary telecommunications outage. It later lifted the grounding order but continued to investigate what caused the outage.

Sydney airport confirmed that the US ban on flight arrivals was lifted shortly before 1pm. It was not initially known how this would affect delays. An airport spokesperson said the airport was aware of the FAA's nationwide ground stop and was monitoring the situation closely. The spokesperson urged passengers travelling to or via the United States to check with their airline for the latest information.

Impact on flights

A Melbourne flight to Los Angeles, due to leave shortly after 10am, was delayed by almost three hours. Passengers on two other US-bound flights from Melbourne, scheduled for 12pm and 12.45pm, were also told to expect delays. A flight to Dallas that was due to depart at 10am left at around 1pm, shortly after the ban was lifted.

Australian airline Qantas thanked passengers for their patience and advised those with upcoming US flights to check its website for more information. Four flights from Brisbane were also delayed. None of these flights had been cancelled as of 2pm on Saturday. A Brisbane Airport spokesperson advised passengers travelling to North America to contact their airline for the latest information.