FAA outage disrupted Northeast flights after fiber line was cut

A construction mishap affecting air traffic control equipment in New Jersey caused major disruption for travelers flying through the Northeast. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said a construction crew “accidentally cut into a fiber line,” leading the FAA to order a ground stop. Duffy later said the lines had been fixed and impacted airport operations were resuming, while warning that existing delays would take time to clear.

Newark Liberty International Airport was placed under a ground stop around 10 a.m. after an equipment outage at a nearby air traffic control center. The outage also affected Philadelphia, JFK, and LaGuardia, with hundreds of flights delayed, diverted, or canceled. Newark was hit hardest, with more than 500 departing and arriving flights canceled and over 200 delayed; by Tuesday morning, Newark still had 58 cancellations and Philadelphia had 30, according to FlightAware data cited in the article.

FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said the primary circuit, described as old and due for replacement, failed, and about 600 feet of backup fiber was accidentally cut by a construction crew. The affected facility was the Philadelphia Terminal Radar Approach Control, or TRACON, which manages arriving and departing aircraft in the area. New Jersey Transit confirmed to Business Insider that a crew working near the line accidentally cut a fiber-optic cable, while Verizon told Reuters it was their cable but not their technicians who cut it.

Even after repairs, the duration of lingering disruptions remained unclear. Travelers should keep checking airline flight status directly before heading to the airport, especially if flying through Newark, Philadelphia, JFK, or LaGuardia. The article also notes that it is unclear whether airlines will offer accommodations or compensation, while travelers who booked with travel credit cards may have options for delays or trip reimbursement.