NEW YORK (BLOOMBERG) -- Newark Liberty International Airport halted operations for about an hour Monday morning following a tower evacuation, effectively knocking out two of New York’s main hubs after an accident at LaGuardia Airport late Sunday forced a suspension of services there.
Arrivals and departures were paused at Newark after air traffic controllers evacuated the tower at about 7:30 a.m. because of a burning smell coming from an elevator, the Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement. The ground stop was canceled about an hour later.
The suspension added to chaos on the ground and in the air as long lines caused by the partial government shutdown have delayed passengers over the past several weeks. The overnight suspension of operations at LaGuardia also meant that traffic will have been elevated at the two other fields, which include John F. Kennedy International Airport.
Some traffic had been diverted over from LaGuardia after an Air Canada Express plane collided with a fire truck late Sunday, killing the two pilots on board and leaving several dozen passengers injured.
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