A malfunction in the communication system and a severed fiber optic backup are what led to the halt of departures at five airports on the East Coast of the United States. This was reported by the Federal Aviation Administration and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy. Operations have partially resumed at Kennedy and LaGuardia airports, but the departure halt continues at Newark Airport, which serves among other things as a major hub for United and El Al airlines in the New York area. The crisis began following the collapse of an outdated communication circuit in the Philadelphia area at the same time that a construction crew from Amtrak damaged a backup fiber optic cable. Hundreds of flights were delayed and canceled.