The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) equipment outage on September 21, 2026, triggered ground stops and significant flight delays at Newark Liberty International Airport, John F. Kennedy International Airport, and LaGuardia Airport in New York. Ground delays at JFK and LaGuardia were scheduled to expire at 10:59 p.m. and 9:59 p.m. respectively, while Newark lifted its ground delay earlier in the day. The outage disrupted flights arriving from over a dozen major U.S. and Canadian cities.
Cause of the Outage
An accidental severing of a Verizon fiber-optic backup cable during construction work on NJ Transit property caused the FAA outage. The cable was cut around
9:45 a.m. local time near the Delco Lead project site between New Brunswick and North Brunswick, New Jersey. This backup line was crucial because the primary circuit system in the Philadelphia TRACON area had already failed. NJ Transit confirmed the cable served as a backup and that the construction crew was operating roughly 10 feet from utility markings at the site. An investigation is ongoing to determine whether Verizon or the contractor was responsible for the utility markings.
Flight Disruptions and Diversions
The FAA outage led to ground stops for flights into the three New York airports, affecting arrivals from cities including Chicago, Atlanta,
Boston, Cleveland, Miami, Toronto, and Montreal. Flight delays at Newark reached up to 150 minutes according to other sources. Flights already airborne when the ground stops took effect were rerouted, with many diverted to Boston Logan Airport. A Boston Logan spokesperson confirmed the airport received a substantial number of diversions from the impacted New York-area airports.
Official Statements and Recovery Efforts
FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford explained the outage resulted from the failure of the primary circuit in Philadelphia TRACON combined with the severed backup cable between New Brunswick and North Brunswick. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy confirmed the telecom lines damaged in New Jersey have been
repaired but warned delays would persist. NJ Transit issued statements acknowledging the accidental cut of the fiber-optic backup cable and stated staff remain on site to assess repair progress. They also emphasized ongoing coordination with Verizon and contractors as the situation is investigated.
Traveler Impact and Airport Status
Air traffic disruption from the equipment outage caused flight delays and ground stops through much of September 21, particularly at Newark, JFK, and LaGuardia airports. Flights continued to face staggered ground delay expirations into the late evening. Travelers at the affected airports experienced delays and rerouted flights. Despite repairs to the severed cable, the cascading effect of
the outage contributed to ongoing disruptions at New York City area airports and flights regionally. The FAA and airports worked to resume normal operations as swiftly as possible.
