Construction work in New Jersey severed a Verizon fiber optic cable at around 9:45 a.m. on September 21, 2026, cutting a backup communication line for Philadelphia TRACON. This FAA radar approach control center lost both its primary and backup communication circuits, causing a widespread failure that disrupted air traffic management across the northeastern United States.
Ground Stops and Flight Cancellations Impact Key Airports
The outage triggered FAA-imposed ground stops at Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR), Philadelphia International Airport (PHL), and Teterboro Airport (TEB) beginning near 10:00 a.m. Newark experienced severe disruptions, with more than 600 flights canceled and close to 100 delayed through the day. Philadelphia saw over
200 cancellations and more than 400 delays. These restrictions ensured safety while controllers lost access to critical communication infrastructure for managing flights in crowded regional airspace.
Delays Expand to New York Area Airports
The FAA extended air traffic restrictions affecting New York airports later on September 21, temporarily halting arrivals at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and LaGuardia Airport (LGA). By approximately 3:00 p.m., the agency transitioned to ground delay programs at JFK and LaGuardia as operations slowly resumed. Despite these measures, delays continued unevenly into the evening as airlines contended with congested schedules and staff repositioning.
Airlines Respond and International Travel Disrupted
United Airlines, the busiest international carrier at Newark, waived
flight change fees and offered extra pay to employees picking up additional trips. American Airlines also waived fees and allowed rerouting from alternate airports. Flight diversions included a United flight from Berlin rerouted to Detroit Metropolitan Airport and a Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) flight from Stockholm rerouted to Washington Dulles International Airport. The timing disrupted arrivals of global delegations traveling for the United Nations General Assembly in New York, delaying Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney among others.
Repair Efforts and Calls for Infrastructure Modernization
Verizon repairs to the severed fiber optic cable were completed by the evening of September 21, allowing FAA communications to gradually return to normal.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy stated that clearing delays would take time. FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford confirmed the backup fiber line had been cut and stressed the urgency of modernizing the FAA’s outdated air traffic control data architecture to avoid similar disruptions.
On the same day, the FAA and Transportation Department launched Smart Management of Airspace, Routes and Trajectories (SMART), an AI-supported platform designed to identify congestion and optimize flow. Officials clarified that this new system was unrelated to the cable cut incident.
Cause of Outage and Liability Disputes
Construction crews working on a rail project between New Brunswick and North Brunswick, New Jersey, cut the Verizon
fiber optic cable approximately 10 feet from marked utilities. NJ Transit said it is investigating the incident with Verizon and the contractor. Verizon stated, “Construction contractors working in the area dug up and cut our cable,” emphasizing that contractors are responsible for calling for correct markings. A NJ Transit spokesperson commented, “We will continue to work closely with Verizon and the contractor as the circumstances surrounding the incident are being investigated.”
The combined failure of the primary circuit and severed backup disrupted critical communications for Philadelphia TRACON, widely affecting air traffic control in the US Northeast airspace.
Philadelphia International Airport
air traffic controllers dealt with disruptions firsthand, with one controller remarking, “Yeah, man, nothing works… People are getting out, but it’s slow going.”
