Flights suspended after mistaken cable cut brings down air traffic control system posted 22:41 BST 21 September 22:41 BST 21 September Freya Scott-Turner Live Reporter Image source, Bloomberg via Getty Images Image caption, file photo of New York City’s LaGuardia Airport It’s been a hectic Monday for several airports in the northeastern US, after a Problem with the equipment delayed hundreds of flights. Among those affected are the main airports of New York, Philadelphia, Boston and New Jersey. The problem? A malfunction of a system that guides planes during takeoff and landing, called the Terminal Radar Approach Control System. Aviation Administrator Bryan Bedford said a circuit had failed and the system went down because a construction crew had damaged a backup cable in New Jersey. The travel chaos came on the eve of the United Nations General Assembly, where more than 130 officials from around the world will travel to New York. There are signs of improvement, with flights beginning to resume at New York’s LaGuardia Airport and Philadelphia Airport, but delays remain. Duffy said the incident “underscores the need for additional funding” to modernize “aging infrastructure.” Meanwhile, telecommunications company Verizon said it was “actively working” to repair the cable and restore connectivity, but Bedford warned of a lengthy repair process that could take up to 13 hours. We’re wrapping up our live coverage now, but you can get more updates on the current US flight disruption in our news story here.
