Officials say that a complete air travel disaster erupted on Monday when the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ordered ground stoppages at tri-state major airports after tri-state major airports because a circuit linking tri-state hubs failed.
Newark, Teterboro, and Philadelphia International shut down first, at around 10 am. Ground stop orders were still in effect five hours later. Newark and Teterboro would be closed until 4:45 pm.
JFK, LaGuardia, and other airports were included in the delay order around 1 pm. The latter, however, appeared to have been upgraded within one hour to ground delays.
All of these incidents were attributed to “equipment failure”.
FAA Administration Bryan Bedford explained later that an old Verizon circuit that was shared between the airports had failed. When it went into backup mode crews found a broken fiber cable in this backup fibre cable, somewhere between Newark to New Brunswick. Bedford estimated that it would take 13 hours to fix the fiber cable.
Flightaware24’s live flight tracking showed earlier that dozens of jets were lined up along a Newark takeoff runway. Later, the planes returned to their gate.
While passengers screamed and cried, the people behind the control had a good laugh.
Do you know how to describe an airplane that reverses? On the air traffic radio, a person can be heard asking.
No.
What is the answer? The answer?
The second joke was: “Why got the librarian kicked off of the plane?”
“Overbooked.”
JFK’s orders were estimated to be lifted at 3 pm, but there was the possibility of an extension.
LaGuardia Airport was fully operational in about one hour. The average delay of 44 minutes persisted.
Newark’s ground stop began shortly after 10:00 a.m. Orders at Teterboro International and Philadelphia International were received earlier.

Disney attracts visitors to its parks with family-friendly promotions and discounted tickets, even though Universal and SeaWorld are struggling with lower traffic.
This entertainment company has a limited time offer for a $59 night ticket to Disneyland. It also offers resident specials and kids’ discounts, as well as hotel deals, free dining promotions, and other targeted promotional packages.
Disney offers a 3-day ticket to three parks at Walt Disney World for just $89 per day or $267 in total. This excludes the Magic Kingdom.
It appears that the promotional campaign is paying off.
In the most recent quarter, attendance at Disney theme parks in North America increased by 3% compared to a year ago — it’s biggest growth since 2023.
Disney’s cheaper entry into the parks didn’t stop domestic guest spending from rising 4% compared to a year ago. This shows that increased attendance was accompanied by higher spending per visit.
This is in stark contrast with Universal Studios and SeaWorld.
SeaWorld also reports a decline in attendance.
Theme parks owned by Universal, Comcast, posted a revenue of $2.4 billion, an increase of 2.7%. However, adjusted EBITDA dropped 5.1%, to $609 millions, as domestic operating costs increased.
Comcast’s CFO Jason Armstrong stated at a conference that “we started seeing softness in Orlando” in June.
We continue to observe softening in the market.
Armstrong stated that the demand for the goods and services as well as the overall economy were “almost equal” in importance.
Armstrong stated that Comcast is confident about the future of its theme parks, despite the short-term weakness.
You’re right. “We do face some short-term challenges.”
SeaWorld’s parent company United Parks & Resorts also announced a weaker performance, with attendance at the entire organization down 2.6% and 3.4% respectively in 2025’s third quarter.
Disney executives describe the promotion as a targeted one, rather than a discount on all products. They use special pricing to target specific groups of consumers and better utilize available capacity.
Disneyland, California offers a $59 deal that allows limited access to the park on certain dates. This is not a day pass.
The lowest priced regular day ticket at Disneyland is $104; however, the prices of these two tickets aren’t directly comparable due to the restrictions on the evening tickets.
Disney also increased prices at the opposite end.
After a price change in the past year, Disneyland’s regular $104 one-day tickets remained unchanged. However, its most expensive tier increased to $224. Walt Disney World’s peak-date ticket prices also went up.
Disney offers a 3-day ticket to three parks at Walt Disney World for $89 per day. This includes EPCOT and Hollywood Studios, but excludes Magic Kingdom.
Disney is offering a free meal for kids aged 3-9 with certain resort packages.
Disneyland previously offered one-day $50 tickets to children aged 3-9 during limited travel windows.
As part of its Experiences division, the company plans to continue to invest in Experiences until 2027, at which time it will begin to roll out new attractions based on franchises such as “Indiana Jones,” “Monsters, Inc.” and “Cars.”
Disney has announced its latest discounts after receiving complaints for years that theme park visits have become more expensive. This is especially true during holiday seasons and high demand periods.
The highest priced one-day Disneyland ticket has increased from $119 to $224 — an increase of 88% — while the lowest ticket is up only modestly from $95 for $104.
Bureau of Labor Statistics figures show that US consumer prices have increased by 39% in the US over roughly the same time period.
Sticker shock is not limited to the entrance gate.
The cost of parking, hotels, and paying for line-skipping service is a growing complaint among guests.
Disneyland’s Lightning Lane Multi Pass starts at just $34 per person, per day. Standard parking is $40.
Disney’s longtime visitors say that the rising costs of the resort have made them reconsider how frequently they will visit or if the trip is worth it.
A repeat Disney World visitor said to the Wall Street Journal that the “cost value” was out of line and unreliable. Another parent spoke of the anxiety of always worrying about the amount her family spent during their Disney World vacation.
The Post sought a comment from United Parks & Resorts.

The Wall Street Journal reported that it will be harder to find a great deal online on a Jeep or Ram. Stellantis which is the owner of Jeep, Dodge Ram and Chrysler will be banning its US dealers advertising below a minimum price. They join General Motors and other automakers such as Toyota, Kia Hyundai Mazda and Mazda in this “minimum priced advertised” policy. The lowest prices will not be listed in the public listing. Instead, shoppers will need to contact or visit dealerships to learn how low they can go. The change will also prevent consumers from being lured into a dealer by an inflated price. This change will take effect on Oct. 1, 2009.
The automakers claim that the new policy is aimed at cleaning up misleading advertising and hidden fees. Stellantis claims that the new policy, which will help protect their image, and allow dealers to make more profit, is necessary because its brands, some of which are heavily discounted, have been heavily discounted. Scott Painter is the CEO of TrueCar, a car buying platform. He says that “it’s a fact it makes finding prices for consumers more difficult.” These rules will also restrict the use of phrases such as “unlock an additional price” and “ask for additional discounts”, which are clear signs that the dealer is willing to negotiate. As more consumers express their frustration with the long-winded haggling, some see an industry shift towards fixed prices similar to those used by Tesla. You can read the complete story.
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WASHINGTON – The federal agency responsible for air traffic management is turning towards artificial intelligence in order to manage airspace across the country.
Federal Aviation Administration launched their ambitious 875 million-dollar software revamp on Monday. The rollout will begin in three airports serving the Washington D.C. area.
The system’s name is Strategic Management of Airspace Routes and Trajectories (SMART).
In a press release, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy stated that SMART would reduce travel costs, cut down on delays and stress for air traffic controllers by re-shaping the way we manage airspace.
Critics warn, however, that the AI enhanced tool won’t fix the bigger issues with the system of air traffic control.
FAA leaders and DOT officials emphasize that this new technology does not replace human air traffic control. It is described as an aid that will make the controllers jobs easier, by reducing air traffic congestion.
Bryan Bedford, FAA Administrator at a Senate Hearing earlier in the year said: “The current way that we handle traffic is chaotic. We can improve.” We need to do that ourselves at the FAA rather than just relying on commercial airlines who can schedule as they please.
FAA officials say that the SMART System will optimize airspace in the United States by taking into account all scheduled airline flights as well as the weather, wind and other variables and adjusting flight schedules accordingly to minimize congestion.
This is part of an overall $12,5 billion effort to modernize America’s air-traffic control system.
Air Space Intelligence, a small but relatively well-known company was chosen by the FAA to develop this system. This company had previously developed AI-enhanced dispatcher software at Alaska Airlines, and for other carriers. However, this is a much bigger project.
Some doubt whether the SMART System will deliver the benefits that FAA leaders promised.
It won’t be able to replace people. Dave Riley, an ex-air traffic controller at the FAA who will retire in 2020 following more than two decades of service, said that it’ll just be another tool. But of course when it’s called AI, there is a lot more attention.”
Riley played down concerns about the AI tool becoming rogue, because air traffic controllers are still in charge of safely separating planes.
He said: “I don’t believe this platform will be about the fears that AI could kill us all within 10 years.
Riley, however, doubts that the new tool can do anything to address the larger problems of the air traffic system – particularly the shortage in staff. There are still thousands of air traffic controllers who have not been certified by the FAA, which means that many of them must work overtime or endure grueling hours.
National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA), the union representing controllers, has distanced themselves from the new system.
The union stated that “NATCA was not involved in the development, testing or implementation of SMART, and as such cannot comment on its impact at this point in time.”
Airlines for America (the trade association representing the largest airlines in Washington) commended the FAA for its efforts to modernize flight management systems across the country.

Bill Gates told CBS Mornings that President Trump’s view that the risks posed by AI are overblown reflects a societal blind spot, with many people unaware of how quickly large language models could transform the world.
Mr. Trump is “in the place that everybody else is in, where at first you’re like, ‘Isn’t this just like the technologies of the past?'” Gates told CBS Mornings co-hosts Gayle King and Norah O’Donnell on Monday in response to Mr. Trump’s recent contention that claims that AI could inflict serious harm on people are a “hoax.”
Gates added, “If he wants to get credit for helping the entire world, the AI topic is his best bet. The leader that brings people together there will deserve positive recognition.”
Gates stressed that AI has the potential to improve lives, but it also could be misused to engage in bioterrorism, financial hacks and other destructive acts.
In recent weeks, a debate over AI’s potential harms has consumed the technology industry, prompting AI leaders, including Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, to propose slowing its development.
“Evolutionary event”
“Most of society is still not aware of how quickly it’s moving,” Gates said, adding that comparisons to prior technological leaps are unhelpful given AI’s potential for surpassing human intelligence. “AI is almost an evolutionary event.”
Gates’ comments come after the Microsoft co-founder published an essay last month warning that AI is transforming the global economy much faster than previous tech revolutions, shortening the time frame to prepare for employment disruptions.
“AI will take on work in law, customer service, medicine, software and manufacturing. It will hit these industries rapidly, over the course of a decade rather than a few generations,” Gates wrote in the article posted on his personal website. “There will be some new jobs, but without the right policies, there will be far fewer than exist today.”
On Monday, Gates stressed that AI has enormous potential to help people around the world. To that end, Gates said his Gates Foundation is spending $1 billion over two years to expand access to AI across the globe in the fields of education, healthcare and agriculture. The effort will also work to enable people to interact with large language models in languages beyond English.
The effort to improve access to AI in more languages has drawn roughly 60 participants, the Gates Foundation said on Monday. The coalition includes Anthropic, Google, Microsoft and the OpenAI Foundation.
“We want in places like Africa, where there are so few doctors, where a patient could speak in their native language and describe their symptoms” to an AI app, he told CBS Mornings. “The quality of support for most of the world’s languages is very, very poor.”