Fiber-Optic Cable Cut Causes Major Air Traffic Disruption Across US Airports

NEW JERSEY:A major disruption to air traffic operations has been reported in the United States after a critical fiber-optic cable serving an air traffic control center was accidentally damaged during excavation work by rail operator **Amtrak** in New Jersey.

According to officials, the cable was cut during construction-related excavation, disrupting telecommunications and air traffic control systems across the New York region.

The outage severely affected radio frequencies used by **Philadelphia Air Traffic Control**, prompting emergency measures at **New York, Philadelphia and Teterboro airports**. The affected control center provides guidance for aircraft taking off and landing at several major airports across the region.

Reports said flight operations were significantly disrupted at major airports in **New York, Philadelphia, Washington, Boston, San Diego, West Palm Beach and Dallas**. Hundreds of flights were reportedly diverted to other cities.

According to the latest figures, **more than 1,000 flights were canceled**, while around **900 additional flights were affected**, with delays reportedly reaching up to **170 minutes**.

The disruption came at a particularly busy time, as flights carrying international delegates attending **United Nations meetings** were arriving in New York, further increasing pressure on the region’s air travel network.

Reportedly affected flights included **1,321 in New York, 1,399 in Boston, 1,218 in Philadelphia, 773 in Washington, 230 in West Palm Beach, 800 in San Diego and 2,500 in Dallas**.

Authorities said the technical failure caused widespread disruption and significant inconvenience for passengers as efforts continued to restore normal air traffic operations.