Newark Airport suspends flights after ‘burning smell’ in control tower

23 Mar 2026 • 11:16 PM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

The world’s most free-thinking newspaper

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  • Newark Liberty International Airport temporarily halted arrivals and departures after air traffic controllers evacuated their tower due to a burning smell from an elevator.
  • The Federal Aviation Administration confirmed no fire occurred, and the disruption lasted less than an hour with no injuries reported.
  • During the operational pause, FAA staff relocated to a backup tower before returning to the primary facility.
  • Officials clarified that the incident was unrelated to a fatal accident at New York’s LaGuardia Airport the previous night.
  • At LaGuardia, a Jazz Aviation flight arriving from Montreal collided with a Port Authority truck on the runway, resulting in 41 passengers and two officers being hospitalised.

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