Planes remain grounded at New York’s LaGuardia Airport. The disruption began at 3.36pm when air traffic control centres experienced radar and communications system failures. (EPA Images pic)WASHINGTON: The US Federal Aviation Administration lifted a nationwide ground stop on Friday after a communications failure at air traffic control centers caused chaos at airports and triggered the longest nationwide shutdown since the Sept 11, 2001, attacks.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said US airspace reopened at 8:15 p.m. Eastern Time (0115 GMT), but warned that departures would resume gradually and it would take time for airlines to restore normal operations.
"It's going to be slow," Duffy told reporters at the White House.
