Damaged Fiber Line Delays Flights at Raleigh-Durham

Flights departing and arriving at Raleigh–Durham International Airport (RDU) experienced significant delays on Tuesday, August 8th, due to damage impacting air traffic control operations. The disruption stemmed from an accidental cut to a fiber optic line during routine plumbing repairs being conducted by construction workers. Crews were performing maintenance work within the airport’s terminal building when the incident occurred. This resulted in temporary loss of communication with radar systems used for aircraft tracking and navigation. Air Traffic Control implemented procedures to mitigate the impact, leading to widespread flight delays affecting hundreds of passengers throughout the day.