World · India Bureau
US East Coast airports hit by major flight disruptions from ATC system failure
A malfunction in air traffic control systems has triggered hundreds of flight cancellations and delays across major US East Coast airports. The disruption affected key transport hubs serving the New York City and Philadelphia regions during peak travel hours.
LSN India ·
A significant air traffic control malfunction on Wednesday caused widespread disruption to flight operations at major airports serving the US East Coast, leaving thousands of passengers stranded and forcing airlines to cancel or delay hundreds of flights.
Newark Airport, one of the primary aviation hubs serving the New York City metropolitan area, bore the brunt of the disruption. By around 1900 GMT, the airport had recorded 168 flight cancellations and 97 delays, according to flight tracking service FlightAware. The situation was similarly severe at Philadelphia International Airport, which experienced 63 canceled flights and 189 delays during the same period.
The air traffic control system malfunction disrupted operations across multiple carriers and destinations, as airlines scrambled to manage the sudden reduction in available takeoff and landing slots. The cascading effects of such system failures typically extend beyond the initial point of failure, affecting downstream airports as aircraft are unable to depart on schedule.
US aviation authorities were working to restore normal operations following the technical failure. The incident highlighted the critical importance of air traffic control infrastructure in managing the massive volume of daily flight operations across the country's busiest aviation corridors.
No immediate information was available regarding the cause of the malfunction or the estimated timeline for full system restoration.