Ground Stops Disrupt Flights Across Major Northeast Airports

NEW YORK — Air travel across the U.S. Northeast was thrown into disruption Monday after air-traffic-control communications problems triggered ground stops and widespread delays at several major airports.

The Federal Aviation Administration temporarily halted incoming flights at Philadelphia International Airport, Newark Liberty International Airport and Teterboro Airport after problems affected communications frequencies at the Philadelphia Terminal Radar Approach Control facility, which manages aircraft arriving in and departing from the region.

The disruption later affected major New York-area airports, including John F. Kennedy International Airport and LaGuardia Airport. Westchester County Airport was also affected. Boston Logan experienced additional delays as Boston’s air-traffic system absorbed flights diverted from the affected airports.

According to FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford, an electrical circuit failure affected critical communications and radar equipment. When officials attempted to switch to a backup system, they discovered that a fiber-optic line had been damaged during construction in New Jersey.

The consequences were quickly felt by travelers. More than 600 flights at Newark and Philadelphia had been delayed, according to FlightAware data cited by Reuters, while some flights were diverted to other airports. Newark was experiencing average delays of more than 100 minutes at one point.

The timing has added to the disruption because New York is hosting the United Nations General Assembly, with numerous world leaders and government officials arriving in the city.

Officials said efforts were underway to restore the affected systems and return flight operations to normal. However, repairs to the damaged backup fiber connection could take additional time.

The incident has once again drawn attention to vulnerabilities in America’s aging air-traffic-control infrastructure, particularly after similar communications problems affected the Northeast in recent years. Congress approved billions of dollars for modernization and additional controller hiring following previous disruptions.

For passengers traveling through the Northeast, the situation remains fluid, and travelers are being advised to check directly with their airlines and the FAA for the latest flight information.

This is a developing story.

Were you affected by the airport delays today?