The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) imposed ground stops on Monday, September 21, 2026, at Newark Liberty International Airport, Philadelphia International Airport, and Teterboro Airport due to communication failures at the Philadelphia Terminal Radar Approach Control (TRACON) facility.
Delays at Newark Top 150 Minutes Amid Extended Ground Stops
Newark Liberty International Airport experienced the worst delays, with some flights postponed up to 150 minutes. Average departure delays at Newark were 105 minutes by late morning, increasing to 124 minutes by noon. Arrivals faced average delays of 49 minutes by noon. Newark’s ground stop started around 10:00 a.m. and was extended until at least 1:45 p.m.
Fiber-Optic Cable Severed by Construction Crew, Backup Circuit Lost
At approximately 9:45 a.m., an Amtrak/NJ
Transit construction crew working on the Delco Lead project between New Brunswick and North Brunswick accidentally severed a fiber-optic cable. This cable served as a backup to the Philadelphia TRACON’s primary communication circuit, which had already failed. NJ Transit staff remained onsite assessing repairs and investigating whether Verizon or the contractor made utility markings at the site. FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford confirmed this cable cut contributed to the communication outage.
Flight Disruptions Extend to Philadelphia and Teterboro Airports
Philadelphia International Airport issued a ground stop starting at 9:48 a.m., with over 240 flights delayed. Combined delays at Newark and Philadelphia affected more than 600 flights, representing over 20%
of scheduled traffic at these airports. Teterboro Airport, specializing in private and corporate aviation, also faced disruptions. United Airlines at Newark and American Airlines at Philadelphia, both major hubs, were impacted by traffic restrictions and diversions.
FAA Identifies Communication Failures at Philadelphia TRACON as Cause
The FAA confirmed communication frequency failures at Philadelphia TRACON caused the ground stops and delays. The TRACON manages air traffic approaching and departing regional airports, including Newark, Philadelphia, and Teterboro. The outage affected a wide regional system, including New York City area airports. Following previous disruptions in 2025 involving Newark’s airspace and Philadelphia TRACON telecommunications, the FAA replaced some links and installed backup equipment,
though failures persisted.
Travelers Face Diversions, Delays, and Ongoing Schedule Adjustments
Hundreds of flights were delayed or canceled during the outage, with some arrivals delayed nearly an hour. Aircraft were diverted to alternate airports as traffic restrictions remained. Airlines issued travel waivers for affected flights at Philadelphia and Newark. Passengers were advised to check flight status directly with airlines amid continuing schedule adjustments, as the FAA expects staffing constraints at Philadelphia TRACON through Summer 2027 and has extended operating limits at Newark with traffic caps through October 2027.
