A significant cable mishap involving a construction project led to extensive flight delays at major airports across the northeastern United States on Monday. A cable, critical for air traffic control operations, was accidentally severed, leading to ground stops and delays in New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Massachusetts.
Delay Impacts East Coast Airports
The disruption hit as global leaders were en route to New York City for the UN General Assembly, including UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham, who fortunately avoided the delays and arrived on schedule.
Transport officials explained that the severed cable interfered with the Terminal Radar Approach Control system, essential for the safe takeoff and landing of flights. Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey was particularly hard-hit, with FlightAware data showing 267 outbound and 257 inbound flights delayed. John F Kennedy International Airport and LaGuardia Airport, both in New York, along with Philadelphia International Airport, also experienced disruptions.
Cause of the Mishap
The incident stemmed from an error by a contractor working for NJ Transit, as confirmed by the public transportation agency. Incorrect placement of markers at the site led to the accidental severing of the line. Initially attributed to Amtrak workers, it was later clarified that it involved a NJ Transit contractor. Telecommunications company Verizon, which is responsible for the cable, stated that they were not to blame. The issue was uncovered when the main circuit malfunctioned, revealing the backup network’s compromised state.
Response and Statements
US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced hours after the incident that the cable had been repaired, allowing airports to start returning to normal operations, though residual delays were expected. FAA head Bryan Bedford noted that the severed line was a backup network whose rupture was only detected after the failure of the primary circuit.
The grounding of flights created significant inconvenience for passengers like Douglas Tewnion, who found his flight from Edinburgh to New York redirected to Boston, Massachusetts. Tewnion recounted to the BBC that he, along with fellow passengers, remained on the tarmac for two additional hours without updates. Despite the unexpected delay, he mentioned that “everyone is in good spirits” despite the added wait.
Reporting based on coverage first published by bbc.co.uk.