FAA Halts Flights to Major US East Coast Airports Due to Equipment Outage

The United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has halted flights to several busy East Coast airports due to an equipment outage, affecting over 1,000 flights. On Monday, the FAA issued ground stops at major commercial airports, including New York’s John F. Kennedy International (JFK) and LaGuardia, Newark Liberty International in New Jersey, Boston Logan, and Philadelphia International Airport. This disruption occurred on the same day that 130 world leaders and numerous ministers were arriving in New York for the annual high-level meeting of the United Nations General Assembly. US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy stated on social media platform X that flights have resumed into New York’s LaGuardia and Philadelphia, but ground stops remain in effect at Newark, JFK, and Teterboro Airport in New Jersey. The ground stop has also been lifted in Boston. FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford informed reporters that the primary circuit at Philadelphia TRACON (Terminal Radar Approach Control), which manages air traffic into Philadelphia and surrounding airports, was lost. Bedford noted that a break in the backup fiber could take up to 13 hours to repair, with the cut occurring between New Brunswick, New Jersey, and Newark. Duffy explained that an Amtrak construction crew accidentally cut into a fiber line in New Jersey, causing the telecom outage that led to the FAA's decision to pause flights in the Northeast. At Newark alone, over 1,000 flights had been delayed or canceled. Nationwide, nearly 4,000 flights were delayed and 500 canceled. United Airlines announced it would waive change fees for affected travelers, as Newark serves as a major hub for the airline. A representative for United Airlines stated that flights destined for Newark had either been held at their departure airport or diverted to alternative airports. Once the FAA outage is resolved, the airline will work to safely transport customers to their destinations and has issued a travel waiver to provide flexibility for managing travel plans. Newark has reported the highest levels of delays and cancellations among all airports, according to FlightAware, which tracks flight disruptions in real time. As of 3 PM Eastern Time (19:00 GMT), 31 percent of departing flights from Newark had been canceled, along with 29 percent of inbound flights. Additionally, 17 percent of departing flights from the United hub had been delayed, as well as 17 percent of inbound flights. A ground stop was also issued at Teterboro Airport, a private airport adjacent to New York City.