The control tower at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey, United States, was evacuated and officials ordered a ground shutdown after reports of smoke. The airport also halted all departures from the international airport after smoke and a burning smell were reported from an elevator at Newark Airport.
It’s the second time in a day that two of New York’s major airports have been shut down and services suspended following an accident at LaGuardia Airport.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said in a statement that the ground stop was scheduled for at least 8:30 a.m. local time and was later extended by an hour.
“Arrivals and departures are temporarily suspended at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey after air traffic controllers evacuated the tower due to a burning odor coming from the elevator,” the FAA said.
The suspension adds to the chaos on the ground and in the air as long queues caused by a partial government shutdown have delayed travelers for the past few weeks. The overnight suspension of operations at LaGuardia also meant that traffic would be increased at two other fields, which include John F. Kennedy International Airport.
According to reports, the ground stop has been cancelled.
The LaGuardia incident
The incident occurred on the day an Air Canada Express plane collided with a fire engine while landing at New York’s LaGuardia Airport. Both pilots were killed and dozens injured, forcing the facility to be shut down, authorities said.
The airport was closed and air traffic was diverted.
Images circulating on social media showed the Air Canada plane tilted on its tail with the nose of the plane torn off. The Mint was unable to verify the images.
Earlier this month, four airports serving Washington, D.C., Baltimore and Richmond, Va., grounded all flights for more than an hour due to a strong chemical odor that hindered air traffic controllers. Federal Transport Minister Sean Duffy said the source of the strong smell was traced to a circuit board that overheated and was replaced.
The temporary suspension at Newark Liberty was not related to the fatal crash at New York’s LaGuardia Airport on Sunday night. In the episode, two people were killed and several others were seriously injured when an Air Canada regional jet crashed into a fire truck on the runway, officials said.
