The disruption began when an aging FAA communications circuit failed at a Philadelphia-area air traffic control center
A communications failure caused widespread flight disruptions across the East Coast on Monday, affecting five airports: Newark, LaGuardia, Teterboro, Philadelphia, and JFK International.
All of them experienced ground stops and major delays. More than 430 flights were canceled according to FlightAware, while over 100 Newark flights were diverted to other cities, per FlightRadar24.
The disruption began when an FAA communications circuit failed at a Philadelphia-area air traffic control center. Its backup system was also unavailable after construction work accidentally damaged a fiber-optic cable in New Jersey.
Officials repaired the damaged connections by Monday evening, but warned that passengers would face continued delays as airlines worked to reposition aircraft and crews.
The incident also renewed concerns about the FAA’s aging infrastructure and the need for faster upgrades to its air traffic control network.