Airports resume operations after massive disruptions in Northeast

Flights resumed at several major East Coast airports following a telecommunications disruption that resulted in disruptions for thousands of flights Monday.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) halted arrivals at major airports in New York, Boston and Philadelphia after the agency’s primary communication line in the region failed and railroad construction workers accidentally cut the backup fiber optic line.

In an update shared on social media late Monday, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the telecom lines had been repaired and that “all airport operations” in the region would resume.

“It will take some time to clear all existing delays, so please check with your airline for the latest information,” he added.

Earlier on Monday, a replacement circuit had failed at the FAA’s Philadelphia Terminal Radar Approach Control, leading transportation officials to find that the backup line was also inoperable.

Duffy initially stated that Amtrak workers were responsible for cutting the line, but Amtrak and NJ Transit disputed this claim.

NJ Transit said one of their construction crews inadvertently severed a fiber optic line while digging at a rail car storage site in the Garden State on Monday morning. In an update around 5:30 p.m. Monday, the agency said most of the fiber cables had been repaired and would be back online shortly.

FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford noted the “timing is absolutely horrible” and apologized for the delays and cancellations in comments to reporters on Monday.

Last year, Congress approved $12.5 billion in funding to modernize the U.S. air traffic control system, including the type of primary circuit that failed in this outage.

Duffy has called on lawmakers to provide additional funding for the update projects.

“We still have problems, you’re right, but they’re not new to us,” the Transportation secretary told reporters on Monday, according to a video shared by CBS News. “We know what has to be fixed and it’s going to take partnership with the Congress to make it happen.”

The flight delays and cancellations occurred as world leaders arrived in New York City for the United Nations General Assembly this week. President Trump will address the international body on Tuesday morning.