Jennifer Tripucka 
Travelers flying through Newark Liberty International Airport faced widespread cancellations and delays on Monday, September 21st, after an equipment failure disrupted air traffic across the Northeast.
The Federal Aviation Administration initially issued ground stops at Newark, Teterboro, and Philadelphia airports Monday morning. The disruptions later affected John F. Kennedy International Airport, LaGuardia Airport, Boston Logan International Airport, and other airports throughout the region.
As of approximately 6PM, some planes had started landing at Newark again, including international flights. However, operations had not returned to normal, and significant delays and cancellations were expected to continue into the evening. More than 500 flights arriving at or departing from Newark had reportedly been canceled by late Monday afternoon.
The disruption began after a primary telecommunications circuit failed at the FAA’s Philadelphia Terminal Radar Approach Control facility, which manages air traffic for Newark, Teterboro, Philadelphia, and surrounding airspace.
When the system attempted to switch to its backup connection, officials discovered that a fiber-optic cable had also been severed at a construction site in New Jersey.
The cable was reportedly damaged during construction work between New Brunswick and North Brunswick at approximately 9:45AM. Officials have provided conflicting accounts regarding which construction crew was responsible. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy initially said an Amtrak crew cut the line, while Amtrak said the work was being performed by a New Jersey Transit contractor. Verizon confirmed that one of its cables had been damaged but said its equipment had been functioning before the construction incident.
FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said the damaged fiber line could require approximately 13 hours to repair. Crews were also working to install a replacement for the failed primary circuit.
The outage affected thousands of flights nationwide, with more than 5,600 delays and cancellations reported across the United States. More than 100 flights were also diverted to other airports.
The incident occurred as world leaders traveled to New York City for the United Nations General Assembly, adding further pressure to airports throughout the region.
Travelers scheduled to fly through Newark should check directly with their airline before heading to the airport. Even as flights begin moving again, delays, cancellations, and schedule changes may continue into Tuesday.
This is a developing story. The New Jersey Girl will update this article as additional information becomes available. Follow @thenewjerseygirl_ on Instagram for more in-the-moment updates!
