Passengers hit with delays after all Melbourne-bound flights temporarily grounded amid air traffic congestion

Thousands of passengers have been caught up in delays after flights bound for Melbourne were temporarily grounded.

Airservices Australia issued a ground stop on Friday afternoon, requiring Melbourne-bound flights around the country to remain at their departure airports.

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Melbourne Airport confirmed to 7NEWS.com.au the ground stop lasted about 20 minutes before operations resumed.

A Melbourne Airport spokesperson said the temporary ground stop was due to air traffic control congestion, as well as some impact from weather.

The spokesperson said all flights bound for Melbourne were affected during the ground stop but could not confirm how many services were impacted.

FlightRadar24 graphics showed multiple planes circling above Tullamarine, while other aircraft were held on the ground.

While the ground stop has since been lifted, passengers are continuing to face delays as the backlog clears.

7NEWS understands flights were facing delays of between 20 and 40 minutes before they could land or take off.