Aerostar, which manages Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport (SJU) in Isla Verde, reported that some flights to and from the airport faced delays on Monday due to a communications failure at an FAA air traffic control facility in Philadelphia. The disruption caused temporary flight restrictions and affected operations at several northeastern U.S. airports. According to Aerostar, delays tied to the issue were around 20 minutes or more, varying by airline and airport.
Philadelphia and Newark still had delays, while other facilities were returning to normal. Aerostar advised passengers with upcoming flights to check flight status before heading to the airport and to monitor airline updates. The problem stemmed from a failed communications circuit at the FAA's Philadelphia facility; the agency also found damage to a backup fiber-optic line, complicating efforts to maintain normal operations.
The incident caused hundreds of flight cancellations and hours-long disruptions at JFK, LaGuardia, Newark, and Philadelphia airports. FAA Administrator Brian Bedford said the main circuit failed in the morning and that the backup fiber line was later found cut between New Brunswick and Newark, New Jersey. Bedford said the agency is installing a new circuit while repairing the backup connection, with the fiber repair expected to take about 13 hours.