Australians stranded after US air traffic control outage
Sydney Airport says US-bound services will resume after a temporary grounding, but airlines warn clearing the backlog could take time.
A communications failure affecting US air traffic control has left Australian travellers stranded, with delays and cancellations affecting more than 11,000 flights. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has lifted its nationwide ground stop, though airlines warn disruption will continue while they work through the backlog.
Sydney Airport said departures for the US would resume from Mascot following a temporary halt on 14 November. It asked passengers to check with their airlines.
The outage affected 22 regional control centres that direct aircraft between airports. At least 600 flights were diverted, with some returning to their departure airports. Aircraft already airborne could continue towards their destinations, and authorities gave priority to landing them safely.
US Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said early findings suggested a telecommunications outage. There was no immediate evidence of a deliberate attack, he said, while technicians investigated the cause.
Among those affected was Adelaide traveller Trish Crabb, whose Delta service from New York to Miami was cancelled. She and her husband had intended to drive to Fort Lauderdale for a cruise. Rivkah Brown, from Myrtleford in Victoria, said she would instead make an almost 10-hour bus journey from San Diego to Las Vegas after her Delta flight was cancelled.
The Australian Travel Industry Association said providers were prioritising passengers scheduled to travel within 72 hours. Chief executive Dean Long urged those travellers to contact their provider if they had not heard from them. The association asked people with later departures to delay enquiries so urgent cases could be handled first.
