The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) imposed a ground stop at Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) on September 21, 2026, beginning around 10 a.m. local time due to an equipment failure. The ground stop has been extended multiple times and is set to expire at 5:45 p.m. Flights at John F. Kennedy International (JFK) and LaGuardia Airport (LGA) are also experiencing delays and ground stops, with JFK’s ground delay now in effect until 10:59 p.m. and LaGuardia’s delay until 9:59 p.m.
Cause of the Air Traffic Outage
The equipment outage originated at Philadelphia TRACON, the Terminal Radar Approach Control facility responsible for managing air traffic for Newark
and surrounding airports. Earlier in the day, the primary circuit at Philadelphia TRACON failed. Compounding the problem, a backup fiber-optic cable, critical to the system’s functioning, was severed at approximately 9:45 a.m. by a construction crew working on the Delco Lead project between New Brunswick and North Brunswick, New Jersey. The crew, operating about 10 feet from clearly marked utility lines, accidentally cut the fiber-optic cable owned by Verizon.
Timeline and Repair Efforts
The FAA issued the ground stop at Newark at about 10 a.m. following the cable severing. The outage also led to flight restrictions at JFK and LaGuardia. FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford
stated that the fiber break is extensive and is expected to take roughly 13 hours to repair. He added a new circuit is currently being installed to restore the primary connection. Meanwhile, flights that had already departed before the ground stop were diverted to alternate airports, including Boston Logan Airport, which has confirmed receiving multiple diversions.
Flight Impact and Official Responses
Flights arriving and departing Newark Liberty International Airport have been halted or delayed, with related ground stops affecting JFK and LaGuardia flights as well. The FAA spokesperson noted, “The FAA is pausing flights into Philadelphia International, Teterboro and Newark Liberty International airports due to
issues with some frequencies at Philadelphia TRACON.” NJ Transit is conducting an investigation into the repair status and the accuracy of utility markings at the site of the cable cut. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy confirmed that an Amtrak construction crew caused the outage. Newark Airport officials reported arrivals and departures are delayed and urged travelers to contact their airlines for updates.
This incident highlights vulnerabilities in the aging air traffic control infrastructure, underscoring the FAA’s ongoing efforts to modernize its systems amid significant regional impacts on major Northeast airports.
