A fiber optic cable was damaged by a construction contractor at George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) in Houston, Texas, on the evening of October 13, 2026. The damage disrupted airport communications, prompting the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to issue a ground stop on flights headed to IAH, resulting in widespread flight delays shortly thereafter.
The FAA released an operations advisory warning that “IAH has lost major communications and users can expect the current ground stop to be extended and expanded.” Houston Airports confirmed repair crews were deployed immediately to fix the damaged cable. U.S. Customs and Border Protection coordinated with
Houston Airports and airlines to manage the operational disruption and longer processing times for international arrivals. Houston Airports also warned that additional delays and cancellations could continue into the evening.
The communication outage at IAH did not affect nearby William P. Hobby Airport or other airports within the Houston terminal area. This incident closely follows a similar event on October 12, 2026, when a fiber optic cable was severed during contractor work near Raleigh-Durham International Airport. The Raleigh-Durham disruption caused multiple FAA ground stops, flight cancellations, and arrival delays exceeding two hours.
Both incidents occurred during contractor work near the
airports. The FAA continues efforts to modernize its aging air traffic communications infrastructure, which remains vulnerable to damage during such activities. These events reveal vulnerabilities in the current system across U.S. airports.
