US Flight Crisis Leaves Thousands of Passengers Stranded

Air travel across the United States has been thrown into confusion after a nationwide flight suspension caused widespread cancellations and delays, leaving thousands of passengers stranded at airports.

The disruption followed communication problems affecting regional air traffic control centres, prompting the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to temporarily halt flight departures across the country on Friday.

Although the restriction was lifted later that evening, airlines continued struggling to clear the backlog. The Associated Press reported that more than 2,500 flights had been cancelled by Saturday, with hundreds more experiencing delays.

US transportation officials attributed the disruption to problems involving ageing aviation equipment and communication systems. They warned that the effects could continue for several days as airlines work to restore normal operations.