India, Nov. 14 -- The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) lifted a nationwide ground stop for US flights that halted thousands of departures for more than four hours on Friday, disrupting travel for hundreds of thousands of people.

Officials cited "extraordinary circumstances" caused by communications problems at regional air traffic control centres, according to The Associated Press. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said there had been a communication issue affecting several air route traffic-control centres.

Aircraft departures can now resume after the FAA lifted the ground stop, although the disruption is expected to last for days. Over 10,000 flights have been delayed, and another 4,000 have already been cancelled due to the ou...