A Verizon fiber-optic cable was accidentally severed by an NJ Transit construction crew near New Brunswick and North Brunswick, New Jersey, on Monday, September 21, 2026, disrupting critical backup data for air traffic controllers. The cut occurred about 10 feet from utility markings as technicians responded to an initial circuit failure, but the backup fiber also failed, causing a complete loss of communication for the Terminal Radar Approach Control (TRACON) facility that manages traffic at Newark Liberty International Airport and Philadelphia International Airport.
In reaction, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) imposed ground stops at Newark, Philadelphia, and later expanded them
to include New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport and LaGuardia Airport. Nearly 100 flights, including international arrivals from Europe, were diverted to other U.S. airports such as Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport and Washington Dulles International Airport.
By 6 p.m., over 600 flights scheduled at Newark were canceled, representing more than half the day’s flights, while nearly 100 additional flights at Newark were delayed. Philadelphia International Airport experienced more than 200 cancellations and over 400 delays. More than 100 Newark-bound flights were rerouted to other airports. Among diverted international flights, a United Airlines flight from Berlin landed in Detroit,
and a Scandinavian Airlines flight from Stockholm was diverted to Washington Dulles.
The outage affected the Newark hub, the busiest international airport served by United Airlines, and Philadelphia, a major hub for American Airlines. Both airlines responded by waiving change fees for affected passengers. United Airlines also offered additional pay incentives for staff to cover Newark trips. American Airlines allowed customers to depart from alternate airports to mitigate traveler impact.
FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford explained the sequence of failures, stating, “when it went to flip into the backup, we discovered the backup fiber had a break.” NJ Transit confirmed the
construction crew “accidentally severed a fiber-optic cable while working at the site,” operating roughly 10 feet from marked utilities. Verizon emphasized that its facilities were fully functional before the incident and immediately deployed technicians to repair the damage, asserting it bears no responsibility for the cable cut.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy highlighted the incident as an example of aging air traffic control infrastructure issues, saying the event highlights the need for additional funding to modernize infrastructure and prevent disruptions like this in the future. The outage coincided with preparations for the United Nations General Assembly in New York City, scheduled
to begin hours later that day.
