A cut cable disrupted hundreds of flights across the US
The line has been repaired, but delays are ongoing.
The line has been repaired, but delays are ongoing.
by
TC Sottek
Sep 21, 2026, 11:48 PM UTC
Bloomberg via Getty Images
TC Sottek
is a senior editor who has obsessed over headlines and internet speeds since 2011. He previously worked as an advocate for the National Park System.
Hundreds of flights were cancelled or delayed on Monday after construction crews in New Jersey accidentally cut a Verizon fiber cable used for air traffic control.
FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said that a circuit failure led to the discovery of the severed fiber cable,ABC News reports. The outage hammered airports across the Northeast, causing ground stops at all three major New York City airports.
In a statementto CNBC, Verizon said that it bore “no responsibility for this incident,” putting the blame on “construction contractors working in the area” that “dug up and cut our cable.”
Ironically, it looks like trains make have taken out the planes, but fingers are still being pointed. US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffysaid an Amtrak crewaccidentally cut the line, butAP reportsthat Amtrak blames a New Jersey Transit crew for the disruption. “This incident occurred on New Jersey Transit property and involved a New Jersey Transit contractor,” an Amtrak spokespersontold NBC4.
As of Monday evening, Duffy said that “the telecom lines have been repaired, and all airport operations in the Northeast are resuming,” but cautioned that it will take “some time to clear all existing delays.” According to FlightAware, there were over 1,000 canceled flights today in the US
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