UPDATED: Major Delays At NJ, NY Airports Slam Travelers On Monday

NEWARK, NJ — A series of ground stops hit Newark Airport and others in the region hard on Monday, with delays of nearly two hours reported for some flights at the busy New Jersey travel center.

According to the Federal Aviation Administration, the ground stop at Newark Airport was issued due to an “equipment outage.” Departures were delayed an average of 105 minutes and increasing, authorities said.

The ground stop was still in effect as of 3 p.m.

Newark wasn’t the only airport in the area to be slammed with a ground stop on Monday, Reuters reported: flights were also halted at Teterboro Airport, JFK Airport, LaGuardia Airport and Philadelphia International Airport. Meanwhile, a temporary ground stop was also issued at Boston Logan International Airport, which stopped accepting flights due to spillover volume.

An FAA official said a primary circuit failed at a facility in Philadelphia that handles air traffic for the region. This eventually led to the discovery that its backup fiber line had been cut at a construction site in New Jersey, reportedly somewhere between New Brunswick and Newark.

Newark Airport officials advised passengers to contact their airline for their flight status.

The busy airport was widely considered one of the “worst in America” for delays last summer, besieged by a combination of serious equipment failures, antiquated infrastructure, a chronic lack of air traffic controllers, major runway construction and bouts of bad weather.

In August, a new surface movement radar system was installed at Newark Airport, which sees more than 1,000 flights per day.

• Related: Newark Airport Was Among ‘Worst In America For Delays’ Last Summer. These New Upgrades Will Help, Feds Say

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

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