# Newark and Philadelphia flights recover after cable cut

> Flight disruptions ease after a fiber cable break knocked out backup systems at air traffic control facilities serving New York and Philadelphia.
- Title: Newark and Philadelphia flights recover after cable cut · CNBC
- Summary: Flight disruptions ease after a fiber cable break knocked out backup systems at air traffic control facilities serving New York and Philadelphia. Flight…
- Keywords: newark liberty international airport, philadelphia international airport, fiber cable outage, air traffic control, united airlines, faa, business, finance, Newark, Philadelphia, flights, recover
- Source: CNBC — https://cnbc.com/2026/09/22/flight-disruptions-ease-at-newark-philadelphia-after-equipment-outage.html
- Author: Leslie Josephs
- Published: 2026-09-22T11:40:23+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: newark liberty international airport, philadelphia international airport, fiber cable outage, air traffic control, united airlines, faa, business, finance
## Cable cut disrupts two major hubs
A Verizon fiber-optic cable cut by a NJ Transit construction crew in central New Jersey severed backup radio and radar feeds to air traffic controllers serving Newark and Philadelphia airports.
## Thousands stranded as Newark halts traffic
The Federal Aviation Administration halted traffic into Newark Liberty International Airport after the main system failed and switched to the damaged backup system. More than one hundred flights into Newark were forced to divert.
## Monday's cancellations far exceeded Tuesday's
On Monday, more than six hundred flights were canceled at Newark. By Tuesday at seven ten am ET, about sixty flights in and out of Newark were canceled, around five percent of the day's schedule.
## Philadelphia sees smaller impact
At Philadelphia International Airport, about thirty flights, around two percent of the schedule, were canceled on Tuesday as disruptions eased across the region.
## Diverted passengers sent across country
Many international flights whose passengers were stranded were sent to other cities, including Detroit, Washington D.C., and Boston after being diverted from Newark.
## United offers extra pay to ease delays
United Airlines offered flight attendants extra pay to pick up Newark trips and help ease the remaining delays as operations gradually returned to normal.
## Key takeaway

Flight disruptions at Newark and Philadelphia airports eased on Tuesday after a Verizon fiber-optic cable cut by a NJ Transit construction crew disabled backup air traffic control systems the day before.