The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) equipment outage on September 21, 2026, caused ground stops and flight delays at Newark Liberty International Airport, John F. Kennedy International Airport, LaGuardia Airport, and Philadelphia International Airport. Flights at these major Northeastern U.S. airports were halted or delayed starting around 9:45 a.m. while the issue was addressed.
Construction Crew Severed Backup Fiber Optic Cable Amid Primary Circuit Failure
The disruption began when a construction crew working on the Delco Lead project between New Brunswick and North Brunswick, New Jersey, accidentally severed a fiber-optic cable at approximately 9:45 a.m. This cable served as a backup line to a primary FAA circuit system at the Philadelphia Terminal
Radar Approach Control (TRACON) facility, which had already failed. NJ Transit confirmed the construction crew was operating roughly 10 feet from utility markings and is investigating whether Verizon or the contractor marked the utilities involved. The FAA Administrator, Bryan Bedford, reported both the primary circuit and its backup were compromised.
Flight Ground Stops, Cancellations, and Delays Impact More Than 30% of Philadelphia and 20% of Newark Flights
Ground stops and delays affected flights arriving and departing Newark Liberty, JFK, LaGuardia, and Philadelphia airports. More than 100 cancellations and delays, representing about 20% of Newark’s scheduled flights, were reported. Philadelphia International Airport experienced delays on over 30% of both arrivals and departures. Flights already en route during the
ground stops were diverted to alternate airports, including Boston Logan Airport, which confirmed receiving a significant number of diversions from the impacted New York and Philadelphia region airports.
Delays and Ground Stops Lifted Sequentially Starting Late Evening September 21; Airlines Issue Waivers
The outage started around 9:45 a.m. September 21 and caused cascading effects on flights originating from more than a dozen U.S. and Canadian cities such as Chicago, Atlanta, Boston, Cleveland, Miami, Toronto, and Montreal. Newark Liberty International Airport’s ground delay was lifted by late evening. Ground stops were expected to expire at JFK by 10:59 p.m. and LaGuardia at 9:59 p.m. United Airlines and American Airlines issued travel waivers for Philadelphia airport
flights allowing rebooking without change fees, though similar waivers had not been extended yet for New York area airports. Travelers faced disruptions on multiple affected routes to and from the New York metropolitan area and Philadelphia.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy confirmed telecom lines damaged on NJ Transit property were repaired, but delays persisted. NJ Transit said investigations continue regarding responsibility for utility markings at the fiber-optic cable cut site. FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford detailed the failure of both the primary and backup circuits at Philadelphia TRACON. The FAA and various airport authorities are coordinating ongoing efforts to restore normal operations.
