Flights paused at New York-area airports after construction crew accidentally cuts fiber line

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) paused flights at several Northeast airports after a construction crew from Amtrak, the US national passenger railroad, accidentally cut a fiber line in New Jersey, causing a telecommunications outage, US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said on Monday.

In a post on US social media platform X, Duffy said flights were resuming at LaGuardia Airport (LGA) and Philadelphia International Airport (PHL).

However, flights into Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR), John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and Teterboro Airport remained paused, he said.

"This incident underscores the need for additional funding to modernize aging infrastructure and prevent disruptions like this in the future," Duffy said.

Meanwhile, the FAA urged travelers to check flight status with their airlines and real-time airport updates at fly.faa.gov.