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 more than two 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.”

The US Federal Aviation Administration 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 12.00pm and 12.45pm, were also told to expect delays due to the situation in the US.

These include a Qantas flight to Dallas, and an United Airlines flight to San Francisco.

Flights to the US were also delayed at Brisbane Airport, where passengers on one US bound flight began boarding at around 1pm.