Fiber cut by construction crew leads to ground stop and delays at several major airports

A Verizon fiber line cut by construction contractors led to ground stops and major delays at several Northeast airports, according to the company and the FAA. Verizon said its equipment outage was triggered when crews dug up and severed a cable running adjacent to an Amtrak rail line in New Jersey; Verizon said it was not responsible for the damage. Airports affected included Newark Liberty International, Teterboro, Philadelphia International, LaGuardia, and John F. Kennedy International. The FAA issued ground stops due to “issues with Philadelphia TRACON,” a facility that combines radar approach control and air traffic control operations. The longest delays were at Teterboro, where the airport reported more than 255 minutes. Arrivals resumed at Philadelphia in limited capacity, and the FAA did not provide a timeline for lifting the stops.