More than 5 thousand flights were delayed and over 800 canceled in the United States on Monday, September 21, after a large-scale failure of Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) equipment, ABC News reports. Airports in the northeast of the country, including New York, New Jersey and Philadelphia, were hit hardest by the problems.
There were several reasons for the failure. According to FAA head Brian Bedford, a communications cable first burned out in Philadelphia. When dispatchers tried to switch to a backup system, they discovered that the fiber optic line in New Jersey was also damaged.
US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy later said that one of the fiber optic lines in New Jersey was accidentally damaged by a construction crew.
As a result, the FAA had to temporarily restrict flights in the northeastern United States. Particularly severe restrictions were introduced at Newark Liberty (EWR) and Philadelphia (PHL) international airports, where departures and aircraft arrivals were suspended for some time.
Problems also occurred at New York airports – John F. Kennedy (JFK), LaGuardia (LGA), Teterboro (TEB) and Westchester County (HPN). Delays were also recorded at Logan International Airport (BOS) in Boston, where some planes en route to New York, New Jersey and Philadelphia were diverted.
The glitch led to a chain of delays and cancellations across the country. Airlines have warned passengers about possible schedule changes. In particular, United Airlines said that after the system is restored, it will try to deliver passengers to their destinations as quickly as possible.
“Once the issue with the FAA system is resolved, we will make every effort to ensure our customers arrive safely at their destination. We have issued flight cancellation notices to allow our customers flexibility in their travel plans,” a United Airlines spokesperson told the station.
By evening, air traffic began to return to service, including at Philadelphia and LaGuardia airports, Duffy said.
“This incident highlights the need for additional funding to modernize aging infrastructure and prevent similar disruptions in the future,” Duffy said.
RTVI previously talked about a Delta flight from Hawaii to Seattle, which had to be redirected to Honolulu after unknown fumes appeared in the cabin. Several people were hospitalized.
