NEWARK – Newark Liberty International Airport temporarily halted flights after a United Airlines aircraft was forced to turn around after reports of smoke on board, according to officials.
Crews reported smoke aboard Republic 3439, which was headed to Detroit, around 5 p.m. ET, according to the FAA. The flight soon returned to Newark.
“Passengers have deplaned and were transported to Terminal C. The FAA temporarily held flight operations during that time. At 5:55pm, the airspace re-opened with flight activity resuming. United will provide further details,” the Port Authority said in a statement.
The origin of the midflight smoke is unclear.
Video from SkyFOX shows police cars on the tarmac. Dozens of planes were also seen parked on the tarmac.
“Your flight may be affected due to PAPD activity at #EWR. Please contact your airline carrier for flight status,” Newark Airport tweeted.
The disruption caused massive delays, according to FlightAware.
Arriving flights are delayed between 1 hour and 1 hour and 15 minutes, while inbound flights are delayed at their origin station up to 1 hour, according to FlightAware. Depatures are experiencing approximately 40 minute delays.
Check the YouTube livestream below to watch SkyFOX video over Newark Airport:
