Local News
An accidentally cut fiber line in New Jersey led to a telecom outage, officials said.
Travelers flying through Logan Airport on Monday are feeling the effects of a New Jersey equipment issue as the airport has delayed hundreds of flights during a ground delay program, officials said Monday evening.
A ground delay program occurs when destination airports are busy or reduced-capacity, according to the FAA. The departing airport will hold the flights until a set time to ensure an adequate flow of traffic.
More than 400 flights were delayed and around 70 flights were canceled at Logan Airport Monday as of 6 p.m., according to data from flight tracking company FlightAware.
The FAA placed Logan airport in a ground delay program from 1:30 p.m. until at least the end of the day, according to the agency’s website. FlightAware says arriving flights at Logan are delayed around 90 minutes and departing flights around 40 minutes, with both figures increasing.
Massachusetts Port Authority added the airport’s 75-day runway construction project, which began Aug. 31, added to the delays.
“Boston Logan is currently in a ground delay program until further notice due to FAA equipment issues, coupled with the impacts of ongoing runway construction at the airport,” Massachusetts Port Authority spokesperson Samantha Decker wrote in an email.
U.S. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy wrote in a social media post just before 3 p.m. Monday that a telecom outage originated from an Amtrak construction crew accidentally cutting a fiber line in New Jersey.
“This incident underscores the need for additional funding to modernize aging infrastructure and prevent disruptions like this in the future,” Duffy wrote.
The effects rippled through the Northeast, with flights grounded at several New York-area airports: Newark, La Guardia, John F. Kennedy, and Teterboro, according to the FAA.
Newark Airport alone canceled over 600 flights Monday, according to FlightAware.
The outages led to ground delay programs for Boston, Philadelphia, and Westchester County airports. Philadelphia has delayed roughly 400 flights, according to FlightAware.
Logan is also experiencing low cloud bases Monday, an FAA alert said.
“Passengers should continue to check with their airlines for the latest information regarding their flights,” Decker wrote.
Sign up for the Today newsletter
Get everything you need to know to start your day, delivered right to your inbox every morning.
