A Verizon fiber-optic cable severed by a construction crew in New Jersey on September 21, 2026, disrupted flights across five major Northeast U.S. airports, including Newark Liberty International Airport, John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), LaGuardia Airport, Philadelphia International Airport, and Teterboro Airport.
Dual Failures at Philadelphia TRACON Cause Wide Disruption
The outage originated at the Philadelphia TRACON Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) facility when a primary circuit failed and the backup fiber-optic cable was found damaged. The facility controls radar approach and air traffic operations throughout the affected region.
The loss of both communication lines forced the FAA to impose ground stops and flight restrictions, halting many operations
at the affected airports. More than 600 flights were cancelled at Newark Liberty International Airport by 6 p.m. that day. Philadelphia International Airport recorded over 200 cancellations and more than 400 delays. Nearly 100 flights at Newark experienced delays.
Flights at JFK and LaGuardia airports were temporarily halted and later resumed with significant delays. The disruption extended beyond the directly impacted airports as aircraft and crews were left out of position, causing further delays and cancellations across the Northeast U.S. airspace.
Cause and Investigation of Fiber Cable Severance
The incident occurred around 9:45 a.m. Monday, when an NJ Transit construction crew working on a rail project between
New Brunswick and North Brunswick, New Jersey, accidentally severed the Verizon fiber cable. NJ Transit indicated the crew was working approximately 10 feet from utility markings and is investigating the matter alongside Verizon and the contractors involved.
Verizon stated that construction contractors dug up and cut the cable, clarifying that Verizon’s facilities were operational before the damage. Verizon also emphasized that the contractors were responsible for calling for the correct utility markings.
FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford confirmed the primary circuit failure followed by discovery that the backup fiber had also been cut, leading to the total loss of communications infrastructure
required for safe air traffic control in the region.
Flight Impact and Airline Responses
Newark experienced the greatest operational impact, with over 600 cancellations reported by 6 p.m. Philadelphia International Airport faced 200 flight cancellations and more than 400 delays, while JFK and LaGuardia saw temporary flight halts and delays. Several international flights were diverted to alternative airports, such as a United flight from Berlin redirected to Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport and a Scandinavian Airlines flight from Stockholm rerouted to Washington Dulles International Airport.
United Airlines waived change fees for affected passengers and provided additional compensation to staff at Newark to address staffing shortages.
American Airlines also waived change fees and allowed affected customers to fly out of alternative airports.
The delays complicated travel for international dignitaries arriving for the United Nations General Assembly in New York. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s arrival was delayed, causing a missed summit engagement.
Restoration and Calls for Air Traffic Control Modernization
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced repairs were completed by Monday evening and that operations at the affected airports were returning to normal. However, he warned passengers that delays and cancellations would persist while the backlog cleared and urged travellers to consult their airlines for updates.
Both Secretary Duffy and FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford highlighted
the vulnerability of the aging air traffic control infrastructure, which relies on decades-old technology and data architecture. Bedford stated the FAA is pursuing budget approval to replace the legacy copper-based systems with modern fiber-optic networks and a new federal enterprise network system.
Duffy said, “This incident underscores the need for additional funding to modernise ageing infrastructure and prevent disruptions like this in the future.” He added that these problems have been ongoing for years with outdated systems.
The FAA on the same day introduced the SMART platform, an AI-supported air traffic management tool designed to improve congestion prediction and management,
but officials confirmed the outage was unrelated to SMART’s implementation.
