Northeast airport operations resume after telecom outage disrupts flights
The FAA paused some flights after a severed fiber-optic line knocked out telecommunications service
Duffy talks outage disrupting Northeast airport traffic
The transportation secretary spoke to FOX Business' Connor Hansen about what caused the Northeast airport disruptions and why he says similar outages could continue without major infrastructure upgrades.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said Monday evening that telecommunications lines have been repaired and airport operations across the Northeast are resuming, though travelers should continue to expect delays.
"The telecom lines have been repaired, and all airport operations in the Northeast are resuming. It will take some time to clear all existing delays, so please check with your airline for the latest information," Duffy wrote on X.
Earlier Monday, Duffy said a severed fiber-optic line in New Jersey triggered a telecommunications outage that forced the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to pause flights across parts of the Northeast.
"An Amtrak construction crew accidentally cut into a fiber line in New Jersey which caused a telecom outage and forced FAA to pause flights in the Northeast," Duffy wrote earlier in the day.
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An air traffic control tower at Philadelphia International Airport in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (John Greim/Loop Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
"This incident underscores the need for additional funding to modernize aging infrastructure and prevent disruptions like this in the future," he added.
As of about 6:40 p.m. ET, Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) was reporting average delays of 306 minutes because of the equipment outage, according to the FAA. Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) was reporting average delays of 212 minutes.
Teterboro Airport (TEB) was reporting average delays of 159 minutes, while John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and LaGuardia Airport (LGA) were reporting average delays of 72 minutes and 67 minutes, respectively.
Earlier Monday, the FAA told Fox News it had paused flights into PHL, TEB and EWR due to "issues with some frequencies at Philadelphia TRACON."
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A JetBlue Airways Airbus A320 sits at Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) with the Lower Manhattan skyline and One World Trade Center in the background on Jan. 15, 2026, in Newark, New Jersey. (Al Drago/Getty Images)
FAA pinpoints cause of hours-long ground stop at major Northeast cities
Federal Aviation Administrator Brian Bedford said Monday that officials discovered that a backup fiber cable was cut in New Jersey, leading to a ground stop at airports in Philadelphia, New York and New Jersey after a circuit failed.
FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said Philadelphia TRACON lost its primary communications circuit. When controllers switched to a backup system, they discovered a broken fiber-optic cable.
Speaking to reporters earlier Monday, Duffy said "these are issues that aren't new to us."
"We know these problems can happen. We know these cuts can happen," Duffy said, adding that the department has been working to upgrade FAA equipment and its telecom architecture.
"As we work through all the new equipment, all the new architecture of our telecom, which is fans, it all takes money. That's why we have a holistic view of everything, including how we rework our telecom," Duffy said.
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A United Airlines Airbus A320 passenger jet taxis on the tarmac at LaGuardia Airport in the New York City borough of Queens on Sept. 7, 2016. (Robert Alexander/Getty Images)
Duffy said the work is being done before the department has secured all the necessary money, adding that "when we get the cash" the department will be able to hasten progress.
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"But this is not shocking," Duffy said of the equipment outage.
Amtrak later disputed Duffy's description of what caused the disruption, telling FOX Business that the fiber cut did not involve one of its crews.
"This incident occurred on New Jersey Transit property and involved a New Jersey Transit contractor. Questions regarding the outage and related work should be directed to New Jersey Transit," a spokesperson said.
The FAA and New Jersey Transit did not immediately respond to FOX Business' requests for comment.