Severed Cable During Construction in US Disrupts Flights at Major Airports
Numerous flights were delayed at major US airports in and around New York due to a severed backup cable during construction work and a resulting telecommunication outage.
The severing of a telecommunications cable during construction work in the US mobilized federal aviation authorities and led to flight delays at the country's major airports.
Cable Outage and Flight Delays
Significant flight disruptions occurred at some major airports across the US after a backup cable was damaged during construction work.
Statements from Authorities
While it was stated that the damage occurred during construction work carried out by Amtrak employees, an Amtrak spokesperson noted that the incident involved an NJ Transit contractor.
Verizon, the telecommunications company that owns the cable, announced that it was not responsible for the incident.
Evaluations by the FAA Administrator
FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford reported that the severed cable was actually a backup network and the failure was only noticed after the primary circuit failed.
Affected Airports and Flight Data
According to data from flight tracking site FlightAware, Newark Liberty International Airport, one of the three major airports serving the New York region, was the most affected hub.
While hundreds of departing and arriving flights were delayed in Newark, John F. Kennedy, LaGuardia, and Philadelphia international airports were also affected by the process.
Hardships Experienced by Passengers
Douglas Tewnion, who boarded a plane from Edinburgh, Scotland, to go to New York, stated that his flight was diverted to Boston.
Tewnion reported that even hours after their scheduled arrival time, they were kept waiting on the same plane on the Boston runway and were not given sufficient information.