US grounds ALL flights for just the THIRD time in history over 'extraordinary safety reasons'

The US has grounded all flights for the second time since 9/11 over "extraordinary safety reasons".

In a shock alert, a message the Federal Aviation Administration reads: "Due to extraordinary circumstances and for reasons of safety. Attention all aircraft operators.

"By order of the Federal Aviation Command Center all aiports are ground stopped.

"All departing traffic should remain ground stopped until further notice."

Inbound international flights will be managed on a case-by-case basis, the alert added.

Flight Radar currently shows around 3,100 airbound flights heading to US airports.

The dramatic grounding will be the second time all flights have been paused since 9/11 when American airspace shut down the day of the terror attack.

The second occasion was in January 2023 when the aviation authority raised the alarm after a pilot notification system failed.

US Transport Secretary Sean Duffy confirmed today's nationwide ground stop was ordered after a communication issue with Air Route Traffic Control centres.

He said: "FAA technicians are investigating the issue. We will provide immediate updates as we have them."

The FAA's rare intervention has followed a day of travel chaos in relation to serious communication issues earlier in the evening.

An airport which had suffered delays included Midway International Airport in Chicago earlier today.

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Just today, the White House asked Congress for more funding to mend an outdated air traffic systems.

The US Department of Transportation and the White House requested the House for a further $30.1billion to upgrade the airports and system.

Last year, Congress approved $12.5billion in July last year.

Issuing a joint statement, the White ⁠House Office of Management and Budget director Russell Vought and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the funding was essential.

They said: "This investment is critical to complete the modernisation of our national airspace - delivering a resilient telecommunications backbone for air traffic controllers, modern hardware and software, state-of-the-art control towers, and world-class airport infrastructure."

So far, airports which have urged passengers to check their flight status include:

• Atlanta Airport
• Washington DC's Reagan Airport
• Miami International Airport
• BWI Marshall Airport
• George Bush Intercontinental Airport
• LA International Airport (LAX)
• Harry Reid International in Las Vegas
• JFK
• Philadelphia International