Northeast Flight Delays: Amtrak fiber cut halts flights at Newark, JFK and Teterboro; LGA and PHL resuming

The Federal Aviation Administration issued ground stops Monday at Newark Liberty International Airport, John F. Kennedy International Airport and LaGuardia Airport due to an equipment outage. 

Newark Airport outage

What we know:

The FAA said Monday a telecom outage caused when an Amtrak construction crew accidentally cut into a fiber line in New Jersey forced the agency to pause flights in the Northeast. The equipment issues originated at Philadelphia TRACON, the air traffic control facility that handles Newark.

Ground stops were in effect at John F. Kennedy International Airport and LaGuardia Airport, the FAA said, meaning there are widespread delays across the New York City area's three major airports.

While flights are now resuming at LaGuardia and Philadelphia International Airport, flights to Newark Liberty International, John F. Kennedy International and Teterboro Airport remain paused, according to Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy. 

The FAA noted that the incident underscores the need for additional funding to modernize aging infrastructure to prevent similar disruptions in the future.

Newark Airport delays today

The backstory:

"Due to an FAA equipment outage, arrivals and departures are currently delayed at #EWR. Please contact your airline for flight status," Newark Airport said in a statement earlier Monday. 

FAA ground stop

"The FAA is pausing flights into Philadelphia International, Teterboro and Newark Liberty International airports due to issues with some frequencies at Philadelphia TRACON. You can find real-time airport information at www.fly.faa.gov," the FAA said in a statement to FOX 5 N.Y. earlier Monday as well. 

What we don't know:

There was no immediate word on when the equipment issues would be fully fixed or when flights would resume at EWR, JFK and Teterboro.

Travelers flying through EWR, JFK or LGA today are urged to check their flight status on the official FAA flight status tracker, follow @FAANews for updates or check via their airline app before heading to the airport.

The Source: This story is based on information from the Federal Aviation Administration, Newark Liberty International Airport and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy. 

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