1 day ago
FAA Outage Disrupts New York Airports During UN Week
An air traffic control center in Philadelphia had a problem with its main communication circuit.
This center helps guide airplanes flying near several airports in the New York and Philadelphia areas.
A backup fiber-optic cable had also been cut during construction, making it harder to keep planes moving.
Some airports temporarily stopped accepting arriving or departing flights.
Newark had many canceled flights, and planes were diverted to other airports.
More than 1,000 delays or cancellations were reported, although different reports gave different counts for individual airports.
The fiber lines were repaired by about 6 p.m., and airport operations began returning to normal.
Officials apologized and said passenger safety was more important than avoiding delays.
They also said the outage showed that the country’s air traffic control equipment needs modernization.
A failed circuit at the FAA’s Philadelphia air traffic control facility disrupted flights across airports in the Northeast.
Ground stops affected Newark, Teterboro, JFK, LaGuardia, Philadelphia, and Westchester County airports at various times.
More than 1,000 flight delays or cancellations were reported, including about 209 canceled Newark departures and a similar number of arrivals.
A damaged backup fiber-optic cable near an Amtrak rail line compounded the outage; officials said repairs were completed by 6 p.m.
The disruption occurred during United Nations General Assembly week and renewed calls to modernize aging air traffic control infrastructure.
- Who
- The Federal Aviation Administration, FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, airlines, airports, and travelers were affected.
- What
- An air traffic control equipment outage caused ground stops, diversions, delays, and cancellations across the Northeast.
- Where
- The outage centered on the FAA’s Philadelphia Terminal Radar Approach Control facility and affected airports including Newark, Teterboro, JFK, LaGuardia, Philadelphia, and Westchester County.
- When
- Monday during the week of the 81st United Nations General Assembly; repairs were reported completed by about 6 p.m.
- Why
- The facility’s primary circuit failed, while a backup fiber-optic cable had been cut during construction work near an Amtrak rail line.
Officials’ Account
Company and Contractor Response
Cause of the backup failure
Officials’ Account
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said an Amtrak construction crew accidentally cut the fiber line. FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford emphasized that the primary circuit had also failed.
Company and Contractor Response
Verizon Communications said construction contractors working near the Amtrak rail line dug up and cut Verizon’s cable, and that Verizon was not responsible for the incident.
Condition of air traffic control infrastructure
Officials’ Account
Duffy and Bedford said the outage demonstrated the need for large-scale modernization of aging, obsolete air traffic control circuits and network design.
Company and Contractor Response
The immediate response focused on repairing the damaged telecommunications lines, restoring airport operations, and helping affected passengers rebook their flights.
Operational priority
Officials’ Account
Bedford apologized for delays and cancellations but said passenger safety had to take priority while equipment problems were addressed.
Company and Contractor Response
Airlines and airport operators managed the disruption through diversions, cancellations, ground stops, and rebooking options while service gradually resumed.
Key facts
- Primary failure
- A circuit failure at the Philadelphia air traffic control facility caused the loss of radio and radar equipment serving multiple airports.
- Airports affected
- Newark, Teterboro, JFK, LaGuardia, Philadelphia, and Westchester County airports were affected at various times.
- Reported disruption
- More than 1,000 delays or cancellations were reported; FlightAware counted about 209 canceled Newark departures and a similar number of arrivals.
- Newark diversions
- Flightradar24 reported 107 diversions from Newark to 34 airports, affecting 25 airlines.
- Backup cable
- The backup fiber-optic cable was cut during construction near an Amtrak rail line in New Jersey.
- Repair status
- Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the telecommunications lines had been repaired by 6 p.m., with residual delays expected.
- Passenger assistance
- United Airlines offered affected customers free rebooking through Sept. 23.
Quotes
Bryan Bedford
FAA administrator who described the disruption and its safety implications
“The timing is absolutely horrible. I’m very sorry for the delays and cancellations that the traveling public is experiencing, but their safety is the most important thing.”
livemint.com
“It’s crazy to see how we’re having to chase these 50-year-old, obsolete circuit problems.”
livemint.com
Flightradar24
Flight-tracking service reporting on the airport ground stops
“Through 17:30 EDT, 107 diversions away from Newark (EWR) to 34 separate airports impacting 25 airlines. IAD (19) & JFK (12) took in the greatest number of flights. United (with its EWR hub) was most impacted with 70 diversions”
republicworld.com
“New York airports JFK and LaGuardia have now been added to the list of airports ground stopped (flights to those airports are held on the ground at their origin) due to the FAA equipment outage.”
republicworld.com
Sean Duffy
US Transportation Secretary discussing the repair and resumption of airport operations
“The telecom lines have been repaired, and all airport operations in the Northeast are resuming”
republicworld.com
Sources
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