US east-coast airports experience delays after construction crew cuts air-traffic control cable
Hundreds of flights were delayed at major airports in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Massachusetts after a construction crew severed a backup air-traffic control cable, which was repaired later in the day.
Construction workers accidentally cut a backup cable used by the Terminal Radar Approach Control system, prompting ground stops and delays at Newark Liberty International Airport, John F. Kennedy International Airport, LaGuardia Airport and Philadelphia International Airport on Monday afternoon. Flight-tracking data showed more than 260 departures and arrivals delayed at Newark alone.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the cable had been repaired and normal operations would resume, though some delays were expected to continue. He noted that the damage was caused by workers from Amtrak, the national intercity rail operator, and described the incident as a "telecom outage" that forced the Federal Aviation Administration to ground flights.
"The cable has been repaired and airports will return to normal operations," Duffy posted on X.
The Federal Aviation Administration confirmed that the severed line was a backup network and that the primary circuit had already failed when the cut was discovered. Verizon, the cable’s owner, issued a statement saying it bears no responsibility for the incident.
A passenger traveling from Edinburgh reported that his flight was diverted to Boston and that he and other travelers were left on the tarmac for hours without information.
"We were sitting on the same plane, on the tarmac at Boston with no information," the passenger told the BBC.
The disruption occurred ahead of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, which is expected to bring many world leaders to the city.