A major disruption in air travel on the East Coast of the United States was caused by an accidental cut to a fiber optic cable, according to Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy. The incident occurred when an Amtrak crew in New Jersey mistakenly severed a Verizon fiber line on Monday. This type of cable is used to transmit data and communications, and its damage can lead to widespread outages affecting various services. The outage caused significant delays and disruptions at several major airports along the East Coast. Airlines had to cancel or delay flights as they struggled to communicate with air traffic control and other essential systems. The incident highlights how dependent modern air travel is on reliable communication infrastructure. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy emphasized the importance of ensuring that such incidents are minimized in the future. He noted that the outage was a rare occurrence but underscored the need for better coordination between transportation and communication providers to prevent similar disruptions. The incident was reported by CBS News correspondent Lilia Luciano, who highlighted the ripple effects of the outage across the region. As investigations continue, authorities are working to understand how the fiber line was accidentally cut and what steps can be taken to prevent such incidents in the future.