Significant delays affected numerous flights at major airports on the US East Coast on Monday after a crucial air traffic control cable was accidentally cut during construction work.
Transportation officials reported that the outage particularly disrupted operations at airports in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts. These issues surfaced as New York geared up to welcome dignitaries for the UN General Assembly taking place on Tuesday.
Air traffic snarled by severed cable
Major Northeast airports, such as Newark Liberty International Airport, John F. Kennedy International Airport and LaGuardia Airport in New York, and Philadelphia International Airport, faced significant ground stops and delays on Monday afternoon. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) limited flight activity as they addressed the outage, leading to widespread disruption across the region.
Bryan Bedford, who heads the FAA, explained that construction work damaged a backup cable supporting the Terminal Radar Approach Control (TRACON) system. This system is essential for the safe guiding of aircraft during takeoffs and landings. The problem was only discovered after the main circuit failed, revealing that the backup line had been compromised.
Accountability and official reactions
Multiple organizations were implicated in the incident. Sean Duffy, US Transportation Secretary, indicated in initial statements that the cable damage was linked to a project involving Amtrak, the national intercity rail service. Duffy shared on X (formerly Twitter) that the mishap “caused a telecom outage,” forcing the FAA to ground flights temporarily.
Contrary to this, an Amtrak spokesperson told US outlets that a contractor for NJ Transit, New Jersey’s transit agency, had actually cut the cable. NJ Transit later admitted to CBS News that their workers were responsible, attributing the incident to incorrectly marked work sites. The cable was confirmed to belong to Verizon, which stated it was not at fault.
Widespread delays at busy airports
Data from FlightAware revealed Newark Liberty International Airport suffered the greatest impact, with 267 departing flights delayed and 257 incoming flights also held up because of the failure in the control system.
The heightened air traffic due to the UN General Assembly in New York put additional pressure on airports. Despite these conditions, UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham managed to land on time, as his flight departed before interruptions began.
One affected traveler, Douglas Tewnion, described that his flight from Edinburgh to New York was diverted to Boston, Massachusetts. He remained on the tarmac for over two hours, receiving minimal information. Still, Tewnion noted that passenger morale stayed generally positive despite the disruption.
Service restoration and continuing delays
Transportation Secretary Duffy later reported the cable had been successfully repaired, allowing airports to gradually return to standard operations. He warned, however, that lingering delays were possible while airports worked through the accumulated backlog.
This repair occurred just ahead of the anticipated increase in flights associated with the diplomatic event in New York, but lingering effects left many travelers dealing with evening delays during an already busy period.