A fiber-optic cable cut in Florida triggered a temporary outage at the Federal Aviation Administration’s Jacksonville Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC) on Saturday, affecting critical communication systems including radar, radio, and automation. However, the FAA confirmed that there was no disruption to air-traffic services, thanks to built-in redundancy systems that immediately kicked in to maintain control over the Southeastern U.S. airspace.
The outage occurred early on June 21, when communication links to the Jacksonville center were abruptly severed. The facility oversees one of the busiest airspaces in the country, covering approximately 160,000 square miles that stretch across parts of Florida, Georgia, Alabama, and the Carolinas. According to the FAA, the disruption originated from a damaged fiber-optic cable operated by a local service provider. The FAA’s communications partner, L3Harris, along with the local carrier, quickly mobilized repair teams to assess and begin restoring service.
Despite the interruption, operations remained stable due to a seamless switch to backup systems. The FAA’s contingency protocols ensured that secondary communication channels—including alternative radar and radio routes—took over automatically. “There was no loss of critical air-traffic services due to this event,” the agency stated, adding that flight operations across the affected region continued without delays or diversions.
This incident draws attention to the increasing number of air-traffic control (ATC) outages in recent years. Since 2022, there have been over 40 similar cases reported across the U.S., including significant disruptions in Tampa, Miami, Denver, Houston, and Atlanta. While most were resolved through emergency systems, aviation experts have raised concerns about the reliability of aging infrastructure. A recent report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) found that more than one-third of the FAA’s facilities and equipment are either “unsustainable” or approaching the end of their service life.
The Jacksonville incident also stands in contrast to a previous failure at Philadelphia’s control center earlier this year, where a radar fault and delayed backup system caused over 45 minutes of air-traffic disruption, affecting hundreds of flights and leading to stress-related leave among some controllers. In Jacksonville, however, the system’s fail-safes operated as intended, reinforcing the FAA’s argument for continuing modernization through the NextGen program, which aims to upgrade outdated systems and increase nationwide airspace efficiency.
As of now, fiber repair work is ongoing at the affected site in Florida. While the immediate impact on flights was negligible, the FAA’s quick response and the robustness of its contingency infrastructure have helped avoid broader disruption. Still, the incident underscores the urgent need for accelerated investment in the country’s air-traffic control infrastructure to prevent more serious failures in the future.
