The FAA says the nationwide ground stop is over after more than four hours, according to ABC News. The Globe and Mail, citing a US official, also reports that the halt to takeoffs has been lifted.
Earlier reports said only that restrictions were being lifted gradually, with no formal end confirmed. The FAA's own statement page, dated 13 November, has not been updated to say the stop is over. It still says only that technicians are investigating communication issues affecting multiple Air Route Traffic Control Centers.
Disruption is set to continue. CNBC reports that more than 10,000 flights were disrupted and that cancellations are expected to stretch into Saturday. A Porter Airlines spokeswoman, quoted by the Globe and Mail, said it will take time for flights to begin operating normally once the order is lifted.
On the cause, DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin told reporters at the White House that it was due to a "telecommunications outage" and that there was no indication of a "nefarious attack", ABC News reports. CNBC says it was not immediately clear what caused the problem. The FAA's published statement does not say what caused the communication issues, and Mullin's account has not been independently checked.