Flights across the northeastern United States have been disrupted after an equipment failure at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)’s Philadelphia Terminal Radar Approach Control (TRACON) facility triggered ground stops at several major airports on Monday, Sept. 21.
Communications Failure at Philadelphia TRACON Causes Widespread Delays
The FAA said the disruption was caused by issues with some frequencies at Philadelphia TRACON. The facility lost its primary circuit, and officials subsequently found that a backup fiber-optic connection had also been cut during construction in New Jersey.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said an Amtrak construction crew accidentally cut the fiber line.
“An Amtrak construction crew accidentally cut into a fiber line in New Jersey, which caused a telecom outage and forced FAA to pause flights in the Northeast,” Duffy said on X.
The loss of the connections affected the facility’s ability to manage air traffic normally, prompting the FAA to restrict flights while the problem was addressed. Early reports said that more than 600 flights have been delayed during the disruption, with Newark experiencing average delays of more than 100 minutes at one point.
FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said the agency was working to restore the affected systems and that repairs to the damaged fiber connection could take approximately 13 hours.
“Timing is absolutely horrible, and I’m very sorry for the delays and cancellations that the traveling public is experiencing, but their safety is the most important thing,” Bedford said during a Monday briefing.
The disruption affected major airports serving the New York and Philadelphia metropolitan areas, including Philadelphia International Airport (PHL), Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR), Teterboro Airport (TEB), John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), and LaGuardia Airport (LGA), all with delays and cancellations continuing as airlines worked to reposition aircraft and crews.
The FAA said in a recent statement that Monday’s data-transmission problem was not related to a separate equipment issue at Philadelphia TRACON last week.
Operations Resume at Some Airports as Delays Continue
The situation began improving Monday afternoon as the FAA restored services at some of the affected airports. Duffy said that flights were resuming at LaGuardia and Philadelphia International Airport, while the FAA continued working to restore operations elsewhere.
The agency later said normal operations had returned at Newark Liberty International Airport and Teterboro Airport following a temporary radar-feed issue. Ground stops were lifted as communications and radar services were restored, although delays and cancellations continued.
The disruption also came as New York was hosting the United Nations General Assembly, adding to the volume of international travel in the region.
Disruptions at any of these airports can affect connecting passengers and flights beyond the immediate region. Passengers travelling through Philadelphia, Newark, JFK, LaGuardia, Teterboro, or other affected airports should check directly with their airline for the latest flight status before travelling to the airport.
This is a developing story. Follow Travel Radar for updates as more information becomes available.
