MORRISVILLE, N.C. (WTVD) — The Federal Aviation Administration is working to restore flights in the Northeast U.S. corridor after a blown circuit at a Philadelphia air traffic control facility. Under normal circumstances, the blown circuit should have switched operations to a backup. However, that backup line was cut in New Jersey at a construction site, according to an FAA administrator.
FAA officials said that to change the circuit in Philadelphia, airspace would need to be clear for at least 30 minutes.
As of Monday afternoon, normal operations had not resumed.
According to FlightAware, there have been nearly 5,000 flight delays in or out of the United States and more than 820 cancellations.
The damaged section of fiber stretches about 600 feet and is somewhere between New Brunswick and Newark, New Jersey, and would take about 13 hours to repair, according to the administrator.
Monday’s delay largely affected travel in the Northeast at airports such as New York’s LaGuardia and JFK airports, Boston Logan, Philadelphia International, Newark, and even extended as far south as Washington National Airport through American Airlines flights.
Monday’s delays at RDU extended beyond 80 flights and stood at 13 cancellations.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
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