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UAE-US flights: Emirates, Etihad say operations unaffected after air traffic outage
Dubai and Abu Dhabi-based carriers confirm normal schedules to and from the United States after a communications failure grounded hundreds of flights at Newark, Philadelphia, LaGuardia and JFK
- PUBLISHED: Tue 22 Sept 2026, 12:33 PM UPDATED: Tue 22 Sept 2026, 2:54 PM
UAE carriers Emirates and Etihad on Tuesday confirmed that their operations to the US remain unaffected as thousands of flights across the US were halted for hours at major East Coast airports.
“There has been no impact to our operations" ot the US, Aa Emirates spokesperson told Khaleej Times.
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An Etihad Airways spokesperson said: “Our operations to and from US run as scheduled.”
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What caused the disruption
The outage stemmed from a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) facility in Philadelphia, where the primary communications line failed on Monday. When systems attempted to switch to the backup line, officials discovered it had been accidentally severed by construction crews working near Newark, New Jersey. The failure left air traffic controllers without radar or communications for several hours.
The disruption brought commercial traffic to a near-standstill at Newark Liberty International Airport, with no flights landing there for roughly seven-and-a-half hours. More than 600 flights into and out of Newark were cancelled, alongside over 200 at Philadelphia International Airport. LaGuardia and John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York were also affected.
US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy confirmed the lines were repaired by Monday evening, though he warned it would "take some time to clear all existing delays."
UN General Assembly
The outage occurred as world leaders, including US President Donald Trump, were arriving in New York for the United Nations General Assembly, adding pressure to an already strained network.
The Philadelphia facility was also responsible for earlier disruptions at Newark in spring 2025, raising fresh questions over the resilience of America's ageing air traffic infrastructure. The FAA said the failed primary circuit is due to be replaced as part of a broader overhaul of the national system.
Passengers travelling to or from the US are advised to check flight status directly with their airline before heading to the airport, as knock-on delays continue to clear through the network.
