Flight operations have resumed at several New York-area airports after a communications outage caused widespread cancellations and delays Monday.
The Federal Aviation Administration issued ground stops Monday at Newark Liberty International Airport, John F. Kennedy International Airport and LaGuardia Airport as a communications failure at an FAA air traffic control facility in Philadelphia disrupted flights across the Northeast.
Philadelphia International Airport and Teterboro Airport were also affected, while Boston Logan International Airport received diverted flights from impacted airports.
The outage began when a primary communications circuit failed at the FAA's Philadelphia Terminal Radar Approach Control facility, known as TRACON. When controllers
switched to a backup system, they discovered that a fiber-optic line in New Jersey had also been severed by a construction crew.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy initially said an Amtrak construction crew had accidentally cut a Verizon fiber line in New Jersey. Amtrak later said the incident occurred on New Jersey Transit property and involved a New Jersey Transit contractor.
New Jersey Transit said a construction crew working on the Delco Lead project between New Brunswick and North Brunswick accidentally severed the fiber-optic cable. The agency said the crew was working about 10 feet from utility markings and that it was working with Verizon and the contractor to investigate the incident.
Verizon repaired the damaged telecommunications line, and Duffy said Monday evening that airport operations across the Northeast were resuming. Airlines, however, continued working through a backlog of canceled and delayed flights.
Thousands of flights were delayed or canceled nationwide Monday, with Newark among the hardest-hit airports.
Are flights still delayed at New York-area airports?
Flights were operating Tuesday morning at New York-area airports, but travelers may still encounter delays and cancellations as airlines recover from Monday's disruption.
The FAA's latest status for Newark showed minor arrival and departure delays early Tuesday. Travelers should check directly with their airlines because airport-level status information does not apply to individual flights.
JFK and LaGuardia also resumed normal operations after Monday's ground stops were lifted, though some lingering delays and cancellations were possible as airlines worked through the backlog.
The FAA ground stops were centered on airports in the New York City region, New Jersey and Philadelphia. Travelers elsewhere in New York who connect through those airports could still experience disruptions.
Travelers across New York should check with their airlines for the latest information before heading to the airport.
Contributing: USA TODAY Network
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Flights resume at JFK, LaGuardia, Newark after outage causes widespread delays
