BOSTON — Travelers flying through Boston Logan International Airport and other major Northeast airports on Tuesday are being urged to check their flight status after a major air traffic control outage disrupted thousands of flights and triggered ground stops across the region.
The widespread delays stemmed from an air traffic control equipment failure on Monday that impacted airports throughout the Northeast. The outage caused significant disruptions Monday and continued to ripple into Tuesday as airlines worked to restore normal operations.
The initial issue was traced to the failure of a critical circuit in Philadelphia. Air traffic controllers tried to switch to a backup system that relied on a fiber-optic line, but construction contractors in New Jersey also severed it, further complicating recovery efforts. New Jersey Transit released a photo showing crews working in the area where the fiber-optic cable was damaged.
The outage prompted ground stops at five airports across New York, New Jersey and Philadelphia. While the system has since been restored, airlines are still working to recover from the cascading effects of delays and cancellations.
Logan Airport had 21 delays and two cancellations as of 7 a.m. Tuesday, according to FlightAware. On Monday, more than 400 arriving and departing flights were delayed, and dozens were canceled.
Logan was also among several major airports that briefly halted departures during the outage.
Aviation expert Tom Kinton said the equipment failure had widespread consequences because it affected air traffic across the entire Northeast corridor.
“It was a major problem for delays,” Kinton said. He explained that once flights were cleared to resume operations, aircraft from multiple airports had to compete for limited airspace, making it difficult for airlines to return to normal schedules quickly.
Airlines are now focused on getting operations back on track, but travelers may continue to see delays as carriers reposition aircraft and crews.
Passengers with flights scheduled Tuesday are encouraged to monitor their airline’s website, mobile app, or airport updates before heading to Logan as airlines work to clear remaining disruptions and restore normal service.
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