New Delhi: Hundreds of flights were cancelled and delayed across the US Northeast on Monday after a technical failure at a key Federal Aviation Administration
(FAA) air traffic control facility disrupted operations at several major airports.
The disruption was linked to an outage at the FAA facility in Philadelphia. According to the Associated Press, the primary communications line failed earlier in the day, while a backup fibre-optic line was inadvertently cut by construction workers. The failures left air traffic controllers without critical radar and communications links for several hours.
Newark, Philadelphia airports hit hardest
Newark Liberty International Airport was among the worst affected. More than 600 flights into and out of Newark were cancelled, according to AP. Commercial air traffic at the airport came close to a standstill, with no commercial flights landing between about 9:40 am and shortly after 5:20 pm local time.
Philadelphia International Airport also saw more than 200 cancellations. Operations at New York’s LaGuardia and John F Kennedy airports were also disrupted before flights began resuming later in the day.
Earlier figures from FlightAware cited by AFP put the number of cancelled flights at Newark at 168 and at Philadelphia at 63 around 1900 GMT, with dozens more delays at both airports.
What caused the US airport disruption?
US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said an Amtrak construction crew had accidentally cut a fibre line in New Jersey, causing the telecommunications outage and forcing the FAA to pause flights in parts of the Northeast.
However, AP reported that Amtrak later pointed to a New Jersey Transit construction crew working in the area between Newark and New Brunswick. The exact responsibility for the cable damage was therefore disputed in the initial accounts.
FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford described the break in the backup fibre line as ‘massive’. The agency worked to restore the primary connection while technicians also repaired the damaged backup line. Verizon technicians were involved in restoring communications.
The FAA said the affected system carries radar and communications data for regional air traffic control. Transportation Secretary Duffy said that even after the lines were repaired, it would take time to clear the backlog of delays.
The disruption came as New York was preparing for the United Nations General Assembly, with President Donald Trump and several foreign leaders arriving in the city. The FAA advised passengers to check their flight status before travelling to airports.
