Archive · 22 Sep 2026
Cut Fiber-Optic Cable Disrupts Thousands of US Flights
Air traffic controllers use special communication systems to help planes take off, land, and fly safely.
One important system near Philadelphia stopped working.
The backup system also could not work because a construction crew had accidentally cut a fiber-optic cable.
Without the connection, controllers had trouble sharing information with pilots and other aviation workers.
The FAA restricted flights at several busy airports, including airports in New York, Philadelphia, and Boston.
Some planes were delayed, canceled, or sent to different airports.
Officials disagreed about which construction crew was responsible for cutting the cable.
Workers repaired the cable later that evening, and airport operations resumed.
A primary communication circuit at Philadelphia’s Terminal Radar Approach Control failed, while its backup was unavailable because a fiber-optic cable had been cut.
The outage led the FAA to restrict air traffic at Newark, JFK, LaGuardia, Philadelphia, and Boston Logan airports.
NJ Transit said the cable was accidentally severed during construction on the Delco Lead project in New Jersey.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy initially blamed an Amtrak construction crew, but Amtrak denied responsibility.
The cable was repaired Monday evening; reports cited nearly 7,000 delayed or canceled flights and more than 100 diversions nationwide.
- Who
- The Federal Aviation Administration, air-traffic controllers, airports, NJ Transit, Amtrak, and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy were involved in the incident and its response.
- What
- A failed communication circuit and a cut fiber-optic cable disrupted air-traffic control communications and caused widespread flight delays, cancellations, and diversions.
- When
- The disruption occurred on Monday and operations resumed Monday evening after the cable was repaired.
- Where
- The outage affected air traffic connected to Philadelphia and restricted operations at Newark, John F. Kennedy, LaGuardia, Philadelphia, and Boston Logan airports.
- Why
- The primary communication circuit failed, and the FAA’s backup connection was unavailable because a fiber-optic cable had been accidentally cut during construction.
Officials’ initial account
Amtrak’s response
Who cut the cable?
Officials’ initial account
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy initially said an Amtrak construction crew cut the line during work in New Jersey.
Amtrak’s response
Amtrak said it was not responsible for cutting the cable. NJ Transit reported that a construction team accidentally cut it during the Delco Lead project, leaving responsibility unresolved.
Scale of the disruption
Officials’ initial account
An FAA advisory said delays at Newark rose to nearly 23,000 by the end of the day.
Amtrak’s response
Reuters reported a lower nationwide figure of nearly 7,000 delayed or canceled flights, along with more than 100 diversions; the reports provide different measures or figures.
- Affected airports
- Newark, John F. Kennedy, LaGuardia, Philadelphia, and Boston Logan
- Failed system
- The primary communication circuit at Philadelphia Terminal Radar Approach Control
- Cable location
- New Jersey, on the Delco Lead project between New Brunswick and North Brunswick
- Reported disruption
- Reuters reported nearly 7,000 flights delayed or canceled across the United States and more than 100 diverted
- Repair status
- The telecommunications line was repaired and airport operations resumed Monday evening
- Responsibility dispute
- Sean Duffy initially attributed the cut to an Amtrak construction crew; Amtrak denied responsibility
- Earlier comparable outage
- A 2012 cable theft caused an FAA communications outage affecting more than 1,500 employees