Newark Airport Ground Stop After Tower Evacuation Over Burning Smell

Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey implemented a ground stop Monday morning after air traffic controllers evacuated the control tower due to a burning smell, halting arrivals and departures for about an hour and causing widespread delays across the Northeast.

The incident occurred around 7:30 a.m. local time, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. Controllers detected the odor, later traced to an elevator, and immediately vacated the tower. No fire was found, the FAA stated, and staff relocated to an on-site backup facility to maintain operations. The ground stop, which prevents flights from taking off or landing, lasted until approximately 8:30 a.m., when controllers returned to the tower and flights resumed. By then, planes were visible landing, though congestion persisted.

The disruption rippled beyond Newark, one of the nation's busiest airports handling over 1,000 daily flights and serving nearly 49 million passengers annually. Flight tracking data showed delayed flights surging from 420 to 1,814 within hours, with average delays reaching 53 minutes and some extending up to 149 minutes. Affected routes included major hubs like Chicago, Atlanta,...