HOUSTON, Texas, October 14, 2026 — A construction contractor cut a fiber-optic line at George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) on Tuesday, October 13. The FAA stopped flights headed to Houston for more than two and a half hours. Houston Airports said operations were returning to normal by Tuesday night and expected a full recovery overnight.
What happened
- Cause: Houston Airports said a construction contractor damaged a fiber-optic line on Tuesday. Crews were on site making repairs.
- Ground stop: The FAA held flights bound for IAH from 5:25 p.m. to 8 p.m. local time, the Montgomery County Police Reporter says. An FAA advisory quoted by AVweb said “IAH has lost major communications.”
- Customs: International arrivals faced longer U.S. Customs waits. Houston Airports said those waits were back to normal by 8 p.m.
- Recovery: At its 9:15 p.m. update, the airport said operations were returning to normal and airlines were working to resume normal schedules. It expected a full recovery overnight.
- Not affected: The FAA said William P. Hobby Airport (HOU) and other Houston-area airports were not affected, according to AVweb.
- Numbers: Totals for delayed and cancelled flights have not been published. TBA.
Also at IAH this week
- Road work: Fewer lanes are open on southbound JFK Boulevard near the Marriott from 10 p.m. Monday, October 12, through Friday, October 16. Drivers leaving Terminals A and B should follow detour signs toward Will Clayton Parkway.
- Terminal B check-in: The Terminal B ticketing lobby stays closed until late 2026. Terminal B passengers check in and clear TSA at Terminal C, then take the Skyway to Terminal B.
Second fiber cut in two days
Raleigh-Durham (RDU) had a similar outage on Monday, when an FAA contractor cut a fiber line near the FAA tower. WRAL reports that more than 60 RDU flights were still delayed on Tuesday.
What it means for non-revs
- Flights out of Houston may run fuller today. Passengers caught by Tuesday night’s delays may be rebooked onto today’s flights, so check loads before you list.
- Confirm your flight before you leave home. Houston Airports asked Wednesday morning passengers to check flight status with their airline.
- Allow extra time at Terminals A and B through Friday because of the road work.
- Flying from Terminal B? Check in and go through security at Terminal C.
Sources
- Houston Airports — Airport Alerts
- AVweb — Severed Fiber Line Disrupts Houston Air Traffic
- Montgomery County Police Reporter — Bush Airport Ground Stop-Major Delays In and Out
- KPRC Click2Houston — Flights at Bush Intercontinental Airport experience delays after contractor damages fiber-optic line
- ABC13 Houston — Ground stop lifted at Bush Intercontinental Airport after fiber optic cable damage, officials say
- WRAL — 60+ flight delays at RDU Tuesday after previous day’s equipment failure
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