Flights at Newark, JFK, LaGuardia airports disrupted due to equipment outage, FAA says

Flights into and out of Newark Liberty International, John F. Kennedy International and LaGuardia airports are delayed due to an equipment outage, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. The outage is having a ripple effect on air traffic throughout the country. 

A ground stop was ordered around 10 a.m. Monday to Newark and has been extended multiple times to at least 2:45 p.m. 

A stop was ordered at 12:38 p.m. for JFK until 3 p.m. LaGuardia’s stop was issued at 12:43 p.m. and expires at 9:59 p.m., according to the FAA. Included in the stop were flights to the two airports from more than a dozen regions across the U.S. and Canada, including Chicago, Atlanta, Boston, Cleveland, Miami, Toronto and Montreal.

“The FAA is pausing flights into Philadelphia International, Teterboro and Newark Liberty International airports due to issues with some frequencies at Philadelphia TRACON,” a spokesperson said Monday morning. 

TRACON stands for Terminal Radar Approach Control. It is an air traffic control facility that uses radar and radios to guide planes approaching and departing from airports. 

FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said the primary circuit in Philadelphia TRACON failed. The backup line also had a break, he said.

“That fiber break is probably 13 hours to repair. It’s massive, I’m told,” he said. 

Bedford said the cut is somewhere between New Brunswick and Newark. A new circuit is being installed, he said.

Travelers are encouraged to check with their airlines for the latest information about individual flights.