A significant disruption hit flights across the US Northeast on Monday, September 22, 2026, as several major airports, including New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), LaGuardia Airport, and Newark Liberty International Airport, were affected by ground stops. This was caused by an equipment outage at the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). According to flight-tracking service Flightradar24, flights bound for these facilities were being held at their origin airports.
The equipment outage, which began around 10 am local time, resulted in more than 1,000 flight delays or cancellations. The FAA reported that a circuit failure at the Philadelphia Terminal Radar Approach Control facility led to the loss of radio and radar equipment serving several airports, including JFK, LaGuardia, and Newark. Other affected airports included Philadelphia, Teterboro, and Westchester County airports.
Flightradar24 reported significant disruptions at Newark, with 107 diversions away from the airport to 34 separate airports, impacting 25 airlines. United Airlines, with its Newark hub, was the most impacted, with 70 diversions. The disruptions occurred as New York prepared to host world leaders and ministers for the 81st United Nations General Assembly.
The outage was compounded by a damaged fibre-optic backup system in New Jersey, which was discovered to have been damaged during construction work. US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy stated that a fibre-optic line was cut during work near an Amtrak rail line, affecting Verizon communication lines.
By 6 pm local time, Duffy announced that the telecommunications lines had been repaired, and airport operations were resuming, although residual delays were expected. FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford criticized the existing infrastructure, stating that the network design needed an overhaul to prevent similar failures.
Bedford emphasized that if the network design was not improved, similar failures would continue to occur. The disruptions at JFK, LaGuardia, and Newark airports highlight the importance of robust infrastructure in supporting air travel.
The incident serves as a reminder of the interconnectedness of air travel and the need for reliable infrastructure to minimize disruptions. Passengers and airlines alike were affected by the ground stops, and efforts to repair and improve the infrastructure are ongoing.
Key points
- Over 1,000 flight delays or cancellations occurred due to the FAA equipment outage.
- The disruptions impacted several major airports across the US Northeast, including JFK, LaGuardia, and Newark.
- The FAA and US Transportation Secretary are working to improve infrastructure to prevent similar failures in the future.
