Flights disrupted across US Northeast after FAA communications failure

Hundreds of flights were cancelled and thousands more delayed across the US Northeast on Monday after a communications failure at a key Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) air traffic control facility in Philadelphia disrupted operations at some of the region’s busiest airports.

The outage affected air traffic serving Philadelphia International Airport, Newark Liberty International Airport, John F. Kennedy International Airport and LaGuardia Airport, with disruptions also extending to Boston Logan International Airport and other airports.

The problem began when a primary communications circuit at the FAA’s Philadelphia Terminal Radar Approach Control facility failed. When controllers attempted to switch to the backup system, they found that a fibre-optic line had also been severed during construction work in New Jersey.

The simultaneous loss of the communications systems left controllers without access to some radar and radio capabilities, forcing the FAA to impose ground stops and other restrictions on flights in the region.

Newark was among the hardest-hit airports, with more than 600 flights cancelled, according to flight-tracking data cited by the Associated Press. Philadelphia also recorded more than 200 cancellations, while New York’s JFK and LaGuardia airports experienced significant delays and cancellations.

At Boston Logan, more than 400 flights were delayed and about 70 cancelled by Monday evening, while the disruption also affected flights connecting other parts of the country with the Northeast.

The incident came as world leaders were arriving in New York for the United Nations General Assembly, adding to the pressure on an already busy airspace. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney was among those whose travel was affected, according to the AP.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy later said the damaged communications lines had been repaired and that airport operations across the Northeast were resuming. However, officials warned that it would take time to clear the backlog of delayed and cancelled flights.

The outage has also renewed attention on the condition of the US air traffic control system. FAA officials have been working on a broader modernisation programme, with the failed primary circuit already scheduled for replacement as part of the planned overhaul.

The FAA advised passengers to check directly with their airlines for the latest flight information before travelling to airports.