NEWARK, NJ – The Federal Aviation Administration issued ground stops Monday at Newark Liberty International Airport, John F. Kennedy International Airport and LaGuardia Airport due to an equipment outage.
The flight groundings—which also halted operations at Philadelphia International Airport and New Jersey’s Teterboro Airport—triggered widespread delays across the Northeast.
Newark Airport outage
What we know:
The FAA said Monday a telecom outage caused when an Amtrak construction crew accidentally cut into a fiber line in New Jersey forced the agency to pause flights in the Northeast. The equipment issues originated at Philadelphia TRACON, the air traffic control facility that handles Newark.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy confirmed that the telecom lines have been repaired, and all airport operations across the Northeast are resuming. Ground stops that were in effect at John F. Kennedy International Airport, LaGuardia Airport, Newark Liberty International, Philadelphia International and Teterboro Airport have been lifted.
The FAA and Duffy noted that the incident underscores the need for additional funding to modernize aging infrastructure to prevent similar disruptions in the future.
Newark Airport delays today
The backstory:
“Due to an FAA equipment outage, arrivals and departures are currently delayed at #EWR. Please contact your airline for flight status,” Newark Airport said in a statement earlier Monday.
FAA ground stop
“The FAA is pausing flights into Philadelphia International, Teterboro and Newark Liberty International airports due to issues with some frequencies at Philadelphia TRACON. You can find real-time airport information at www.fly.faa.gov,” the FAA said in a statement to FOX 5 N.Y. earlier Monday as well.
What you can do:
Travelers are urged to check their flight status on the official FAA flight status tracker, follow @FAANews for updates or check via their airline app before heading to the airport.
The Source: This story is based on information from the Federal Aviation Administration, Newark Liberty International Airport and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy.