UPDATE: FAA lifts nationwide ground stop for airplane departures

The Federal Aviation Administration has announced that airplane departures can resume after the agency lifted a nationwide ground stop caused by communication issues. ORIGINAL STORY: The East Texas Regional Airport is prepared to be an alternative destination for flights that need to land amid a nationwide ground stop of all flights. The Federal Aviation Administration issued an order shortly after 3 p.m. Friday that prevents planes from taking off but allows flights in the air to land at their original destinations. The order was issued amid a telecommunications issue at the agency, the New York Times reported, but federal officials don’t know the cause of it. Markwayne Mullin, the secretary of homeland security, told reporters that the issue is “going to take some time” to resolve. Meanwhile, thousands of domestic and international flights have been canceled and delayed, affecting numerous travelers. At the East Texas Regional Airport, an 11:32 p.m.

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