Hundreds of flights have been delayed at major airports in the US after construction workers accidentally cut a cable needed for air traffic control.

Ground stops and delays were issued on Monday afternoon for airports in New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Massachusetts.

Transport officials said the damage impacted the Terminal Radar Approach Control system, which is used to guide planes during takeoff and landing.

Telecommunications company Verizon, which owns the cable, told US media it was working to repair it “as quickly as possible” and that it “bears no responsibility” for the incident.

Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey was the most heavily impacted by today’s air traffic control disruptions, according to flight-tracking website FlightAware.

It reported that 267 departing flights were delayed today, while a further 257 flights destined for Newark were also delayed.

John F Kennedy International Airport and LaGuardia Airport, both in New York, were also affected, as was Philadelphia International Airport.

US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the damage was caused by workers from Amtrak, the US national operator of intercity railroad service, who were doing construction in New Jersey.

This “caused a telecom outage” which forced the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to ground flights, Duffy posted on X. The severed cable was actually a backup network, and the error was only discovered after the primary circuit failed, officials said.

The major east coast disruption comes ahead of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) in New York City on Tuesday, which is expected to be attended by scores of world leaders arriving into New York-area airports.