Travellers flying through Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) have been warned to expect delays Tuesday, after a telecommunications problem disrupted flights across several US East Coast airports the day before.
In a post on X on 21SEP, EWR said it was still “experiencing residual flight delays and cancelations,” advising travellers to contact their airline to check their flight status.
FlightAware data shows as of 08:30 ET, 58 flights have been cancelled at EWR so far this morning.
The problems began with a blown circuit at a Philadelphia air traffic facility. Another issue was found when the backup system kicked in and a Verizon cable used by the FAA in New Jersey was found to have been accidentally cut.
Repairs have since been completed but it took eight hours to resolve the issues and flight disruptions persist.
As previously reported by Open Jaw, ground stops were imposed at Newark Liberty, Philadelphia International, Teterboro, LaGuardia and JFK. Air Canada and Porter Airlines were among the airlines who issued advisories.
The disruption comes as world leaders and ministers arrive in New York for the UN General Assembly. The CBC reports Prime Minister Mark Carney was among the travellers affected by the cancellations.
US Transport Secretary Sean Duffy said Monday afternoon that the telecom lines had been repaired and “all airport operations in the Northeast are resuming.”
However, he warned it would take “some time” to clear the remaining delays and urged travellers to check with their airlines for the latest updates.
