US transportation authorities have grounded all Haiti-bound flights amid a massive backlog at the Caribbean country"s main airport, which became the focal point today of relief efforts underway after the massive earthquake, according to dpa. The Haitian government has said it is currently not accepting any more flights into its airspace, forcing the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to ground all flights in the United States, a US government official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity. Nine flights were already in the air and flying in a holding pattern until they could land at the Port-au-Prince airport, the official said. The capital"s airport was completely "saturated" amid the massive influx of aid. The ground stop was initially in place until 2pm (1900 GMT), but could be extended based on the Haitian government"s request. The stop would not apply to flights by the US military, which is on the scene and is helping manage air traffic at the airport. The United States, United Nations, international relief agencies and other countries are all working to send people and supplies into Haiti, where tens of thousands are feared dead after a 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck near the capital on Tuesday afternoon.
