Urgent warning issued to Aussie travellers to contact their airlines immediately after all flights at US airports were grounded due to ‘extraordinary circumstances’ – as holidaymakers vent their frustration while stranded in terminals

The US Federal Aviation Administration grounded departing flights nationwide on Friday after a communications outage affected air traffic control systems, causing widespread disruption. The rare safety measure delayed or cancelled thousands of journeys, including flights used by Australian travellers, and prompted advice for people due to fly soon to contact their airline or travel provider.

By 6pm Eastern Time, more than 10,000 flights had been delayed and about 1,700 cancelled, according to FlightAware. The ground stop was scheduled to last until at least 11pm local time, while officials investigated the cause; a faulty software update was one possibility, and the US homeland security secretary said there was no indication of a deliberate attack. ATIA advised travellers departing within 72 hours to seek updates immediately, while those travelling later should wait as earlier passengers are assisted.