Travelers in the New York‑New Jersey‑Pennsylvania corridor faced a major disruption on Monday when the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ordered ground stops at Newark Liberty International Airport, John F. Kennedy International Airport and LaGuardia Airport. The stoppage, which began around 10 a.m., was triggered by a failure in a shared communications circuit that links the region’s busiest hubs.
What caused the shutdown?
FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford explained that an older Verizon fiber circuit, used by the three airports, failed when it attempted to switch to a backup mode. Crews discovered a break in the backup fiber cable somewhere between Newark and New Brunswick. The outage forced the FAA to halt departures at Newark, Teterboro and Philadelphia International first, with the New York airports added about an hour later.
Impact on flights and passengers
At the height of the incident, Newark and Teterboro were expected to remain grounded until at least 4:45 p.m. The ground stops at JFK and LaGuardia were lifted within two hours, but both airports then operated under ground‑delay programs. Average lingering delays were 72 minutes at Newark and 44 minutes at the New York airports. Flight tracking data showed dozens of jets lined up on Newark runways before returning to their gates, leaving no aircraft stranded on the tarmac.
Response from officials
U.S. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy took to X to note that an Amtrak construction crew had accidentally cut the fiber cable. While the repair of the damaged line could take about 13 hours, Bedford said the FAA is replacing the circuit to restore full service more quickly.
Travelers’ experience
Passengers waiting in terminals reported long lines, missed connections and the usual airport frustration. Some tried to lighten the mood with jokes over the radio, including a tongue‑in‑cheek exchange about a “receding airline.” While the humor provided brief relief, the overall sentiment was one of inconvenience for commuters and vacationers alike.
Looking ahead
The FAA’s quick replacement of the faulty circuit aims to prevent similar outages in the future. Travelers are advised to monitor airline communications and check flight‑status tools before heading to the airports, as the situation remains fluid.
Original reporting: NBC Connecticut — read the source article.
