Newark Delays Persist After ATC Telecom Outage Caused by Blown Circuit and Cut Verizon Cable
Why It MattersThe incident highlights how a single infrastructure fault in air traffic control telecom systems can cascade into ground stops across multiple major Northeast airports simultaneously.
Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) continued to experience flight delays and cancellations on September 21 following a telecommunications outage affecting air traffic control across the Northeast United States. EWR said in a post on X that it was still experiencing residual flight delays and cancellations, and advised travellers to contact their airline to check flight status. FlightAware data showed 58 flights had been cancelled at EWR by 08:30 ET that morning.
The disruption originated with a blown circuit at a Philadelphia air traffic control facility. A second problem emerged when the backup system activated and a Verizon cable used by the FAA in New Jersey was discovered to have been accidentally cut. Repairs were completed, but it took eight hours to resolve both issues, and flight disruptions persisted. Ground stops were imposed at Newark Liberty, Philadelphia International, Teterboro, LaGuardia, and JFK airports, and Air Canada and Porter Airlines were among carriers that issued travel advisories.
US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said Monday afternoon that the telecom lines had been repaired and that all airport operations in the Northeast were resuming, but warned it would take some time to clear remaining delays and urged travellers to check with their airlines for updates. The disruption coincided with the arrival of world leaders and ministers in New York for the UN General Assembly, with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney among the travellers affected by the cancellations.
