Flights at Newark Liberty International Airport serving the New York metropolitan area experienced delays on Friday evening due to an unspecified equipment issue, according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
As of 7 pm, inbound flights were experiencing an average delay of 90 minutes and departing flights were facing about 30-minute delays, according to The New York Post.
At 7:23 pm, Newark Airport tweeted on X, stating, “Due to the earlier FAA equipment outage that has since been repaired, residual delays remain. Please contact your airline for the status of your flight.”
The FAA did not provide specific details regarding the equipment issue when contacted by various news agencies.
Travellers leaving Newark should be also prepared for potential delays stemming from the impacts of Hurricane Milton.
Authorities declared a temporary ‘ground delay’ until 10:59 pm, with impacted flights leaving an average of 15 minutes late as of 6 pm, according to the National Airspace System Status.
A spokeswoman for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey explained, “Flights are still arriving and departing; they are just spaced out, which causes delays.”
Moreover, the increased air traffic from flights arriving from areas impacted by Hurricane Milton may have also contributed to the airport delays. Earlier that day, a ground stop was implemented but was lifted at 4 pm.
For the latest updates on flight delays, please check the FAA website.