Flights at Newark Liberty International Airport were brought to a standstill Monday after an FAA communications failure spread delays and ground stops across New Jersey, New York and Philadelphia.

NEWARK, NJ — A major Federal Aviation Administration equipment failure disrupted flights at Newark Liberty International Airport Monday and triggered ground stops across some of the busiest airports in the Northeast.

The problems centered on the Philadelphia Terminal Radar Approach Control facility, or TRACON, which handles air traffic for Newark, Philadelphia, Teterboro and surrounding airspace.

The FAA initially paused flights into Newark Liberty International Airport, Philadelphia International Airport and Teterboro Airport after controllers reported problems with radio frequencies at the Philadelphia facility.

As the outage continued, ground stops were also imposed at John F. Kennedy International Airport, LaGuardia Airport and Westchester County Airport, creating a wider ripple through the New York metropolitan aviation system.

Primary Circuit Failed, Backup Fiber Line Damaged

FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said the Philadelphia TRACON lost its primary circuit Monday.

When controllers attempted to switch to the backup system, officials discovered that the fiber-optic line supporting that system had been damaged at a construction site in New Jersey.

Bedford said the damaged fiber line could require hours to repair.

The FAA also planned a temporary closure of affected Northeast airspace while technicians replaced equipment associated with the failure.

The combination of the primary circuit failure and damaged backup connection left controllers dealing with communications problems at one of the most heavily traveled air traffic corridors in the country.

Newark Passengers Face Mounting Delays

At Newark, aircraft were left sitting on taxiways while arriving flights were held at their originating airports or diverted elsewhere.

Newark airport officials warned travelers Monday that both arrivals and departures were being affected.

“Due to an FAA equipment outage, arrivals and departures are currently delayed at #EWR,” the airport said. “Please contact your airline for flight status.”

Earlier in the day, departure delays at Newark had already climbed well beyond an hour and were continuing to increase.

Some Newark-bound flights were diverted to alternate airports while others never left their departure cities because of the FAA ground stop.

JFK, LaGuardia Added As Problem Spread

The disruption later expanded beyond the airports directly handled by the Philadelphia TRACON.

Ground stops were imposed at JFK, LaGuardia and Westchester County Airport as air traffic managers worked to control the flow of aircraft through the New York region.

The airports affected during the disruption included:

Newark Liberty International Airport
Philadelphia International Airport
Teterboro Airport
John F. Kennedy International Airport
LaGuardia Airport
Westchester County Airport

The widespread restrictions meant travelers throughout the Northeast could experience delays even if their flights were not scheduled to operate through Newark or Philadelphia.

Philadelphia TRACON Controls Critical Northeast Airspace

TRACON facilities handle aircraft during some of the most complex portions of a flight — arrivals and departures around major airports.

Controllers at the Philadelphia facility manage aircraft moving between airport control towers and the broader national air traffic control system.

Newark’s air traffic operation has received increased attention in recent years because of equipment failures, telecommunications issues and shortages of certified controllers.

The FAA previously shifted responsibility for Newark’s airspace from New York to Philadelphia as part of an effort to improve staffing and reliability.

Federal aviation officials have also been installing additional telecommunications connections and fiber-optic infrastructure intended to provide more redundancy between air traffic control facilities serving Newark.

Monday’s disruption showed how quickly a communications failure can spread through the tightly connected Northeast aviation network.

Delays Could Continue After Ground Stops Lift

Even after airspace restrictions are removed, travelers could continue seeing disruptions as airlines reposition aircraft and crews stranded by the outage.

Flights diverted away from Newark and Philadelphia must eventually be moved back into position, while aircraft held at their departure airports compete for available arrival slots once traffic resumes.

Passengers traveling through Newark Monday were being urged to check directly with their airline before heading to the airport.

The FAA also maintains live air traffic information through its National Airspace System status service.

More New Jersey news and transportation coverage is available from Shore News Network.