Flights at Newark Liberty, Philadelphia International and Teterboro airports were disrupted on Monday after the Federal Aviation Administration imposed ground stops because of a technology problem at the Philadelphia Terminal Radar Approach Control facility.
The FAA said the failure affected several radio frequencies used by Philadelphia TRACON, which manages aircraft approaching and departing airports across the busy region. Flights into the three airports were temporarily paused while the issue was investigated.
The restrictions began first at Philadelphia and Teterboro, followed by Newark shortly after 10:00 local time. Dozens of aircraft were reportedly left waiting on taxiways and runways, while departure delays at Newark and Philadelphia reached up to 150 minutes.
The FAA did not immediately indicate when all systems would be restored. The incident follows earlier communications and equipment failures affecting air traffic control services in the New York and New Jersey region.