The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) suspended hundreds of flights at several major airports across the Northeast on Monday after a telecommunications outage caused by a severed fibre-optic cable disrupted travel for thousands of passengers.

The disruption affected John F. Kennedy International Airport, Newark Liberty International Airport, LaGuardia Airport, Westchester County Airport, Boston Logan International Airport, Philadelphia International Airport and Teterboro Airport in New Jersey, reported BBC.

Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy on his X account that an Amtrak construction crew accidentally cut a fibre-optic line in New Jersey, causing a telecommunications outage that forced the FAA to pause flights across the Northeast.

Both an aging circuit and its backup system failed earlier Monday, impacting the Philadelphia Tracon facility, which integrates radar approach control and air traffic control operations. The failures triggered ground stops at Newark Liberty International, Teterboro, Philadelphia International, LaGuardia and John F. Kennedy International airports, reported CNN.

Aviation administrator Bryan Bedford said that following the cable damage, the Terminal Radar Approach Control System, which guides planes during take-off and landing, went down leading to the travel chaos.

Telecommunications company Verizon, which the cable belongs to, told US media it is working to repair the cable "as quickly as possible"

Ground stops have been ordered at airports in New Jersey, while Duffy says flights are resuming at New York's LaGuardia and Philadelphia - though the airports are still experiencing heavy delays.

The east coast disruption comes ahead of the United Nations General Assembly in New York City on Tuesday, stated the BBC report.