Flights at major US airports delayed after cable cut by construction workers

September 22, 2026

A construction accident on Monday caused widespread flight disruptions at major East Coast airports when workers accidentally severed a cable critical to air traffic control systems. The damaged cable affected the Terminal Radar Approach Control system used for guiding aircraft during takeoffs and landings, leading to ground stops at airports in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts. Although US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced the cable was repaired and normal operations would resume, hundreds of flights experienced delays, with Newark Liberty International particularly hard hit.

Who is affected

Hundreds of airline passengers at Newark Liberty International Airport (267 delayed departures, 257 delayed arrivals), John F Kennedy International Airport, LaGuardia Airport, and Philadelphia International Airport
World leaders traveling to New York for the UN General Assembly
Passenger Douglas Tewnion and others whose flights were diverted (his Edinburgh-to-New York flight redirected to Boston)
NJ Transit (whose contractors cut the cable)
The Federal Aviation Administration
Telecommunications company Verizon (cable owner)

What action is being taken

The cable has been repaired
Airports are resuming normal operations (though delays continue)

Why it matters

This incident exposed vulnerabilities in critical air traffic control infrastructure at a particularly sensitive time, demonstrating how a single construction error can paralyze air travel across multiple major airports serving millions of passengers. The disruption occurred just before a major international diplomatic event when numerous world leaders needed to travel through affected airports, highlighting the importance of reliable backup systems and proper construction protocols for essential infrastructure.

What's next

No explicit next steps stated in the article

Read full article from source: BBC