Kentucky airports come to standstill as FAA grounds flights nationwide for ‘extraordinary circumstances’

UPDATE: The ground stop affecting U.S. departures was lifted around 8:30 p.m. Friday evening.Officials cited a telecommunications outage.

Airports in Lexington, Louisville and Northern Kentucky confirmed late Friday afternoon they have grounded all departing flights.

The move follows a rare stop order from the Federal Aviation Administration, citing “extraordinary circumstances and for reasons of safety.”…