And more of today’s top travel news stories.
Today in travel, we have several stories that may have flown under your radar. Among them: air traffic control failures disrupt U.S. and U.K. flights, Yosemite battles wildfire smoke, a typhoon hits Japan, and Venice looks to raise is daily day-tripper fee.
Dive into these and more as we examine the latest in travel news.
Some or all of this article was crafted with help from AI. An editor reviewed and vetted this article before publishing.
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Northeast Airports Resume Operations Following Major Air Traffic Control Outage
Airports across the Northeast resumed operations Monday evening after damaged communications lines at a key Federal Aviation Administration facility in Philadelphia caused widespread flight disruptions.
The problems began when the facility’s primary communications circuit failed, and a backup fiber-optic line was found to have been accidentally severed by railroad construction workers. The two failures left air traffic controllers without radar or communications for hours, affecting Newark Liberty International Airport, Philadelphia International Airport, LaGuardia Airport, and John F. Kennedy International Airport.
More than 600 flights into and out of Newark were canceled, while Philadelphia International recorded more than 200 cancellations. Newark was particularly hard hit, with no commercial flights landing from about 9:40 a.m. until shortly after 5:20 p.m.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said Monday evening that the damaged lines had been repaired, although travelers could continue to encounter delays as airlines worked through the backlog. Some carriers were allowing affected passengers to change their flights without additional fees, while the FAA advised travelers to check their flight status before leaving for the airport.
Read more at the Associated Press.
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U.K. Travelers Face Flight Cancellations After Second Air Traffic Control Problem in Two Weeks
Travelers across northern parts of the United Kingdom faced cancellations and delays Monday after NATS, the country’s air traffic control provider, experienced its second major technical problem in two weeks.
The latest issue occurred at NATS’ Prestwick center in Scotland and disrupted flights serving Scotland, Northern Ireland, and northern England. NATS said the problem had been fixed, but delays and cancellations were expected to continue through the end of the day.
Aviation analytics firm Cirium counted 227 canceled flights arriving in or departing from U.K. airports by late Monday afternoon. Manchester, Edinburgh, Belfast International, and George Best Belfast City airports were among the hardest hit. Airports south of Manchester, including those serving London, were largely unaffected, according to NATS.
NATS said the latest problem was unrelated to the software defect that caused more than 2,000 flight cancellations two weeks earlier. Still, the repeated disruptions drew criticism from airlines. EasyJet questioned the resilience of NATS’ systems, British Airways expressed frustration over another technical fault, and Ryanair called for NATS chief executive Martin Rolfe to resign.
Read more at the Associated Press.
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Venice Considers Tripling Day-Tripper Tourist Tax to €30 in 2027
Day-trippers visiting Venice could face a considerably higher entry fee next year as city officials consider expanding the controversial program and raising its maximum daily charge to €30, or about $34.
Michele Zuin, Venice’s budget and taxation councilor, said the current €5 to €10 price may be too low to discourage visitors from arriving during the city’s busiest periods. Officials have discussed fees as high as €50, although Zuin said the city could ultimately settle on a €30 maximum. Any change for 2027 would need to be discussed with Italy’s national government.
Venice introduced its day-tripper fee in 2024 as part of an effort to address overtourism and encourage visitors to avoid particularly crowded dates. Overnight guests do not pay the entry charge, while children under 14 and several other groups are exempt. Visitors who book earlier can qualify for the lower rate.
In 2026, the fee was imposed on selected days between April 3 and July 26 from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. The program generated more than €5.2 million from just under 680,000 tickets.
Officials are now considering applying the fee during a longer portion of the year as well as increasing the price, with the goal of reducing congestion during especially busy periods such as the May Day holiday.
Read more at Reuters.
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Yosemite National Park Remains Open Despite Dome Fire Trail Closures and Smoke
Yosemite National Park remains open and is operating normally in most areas as firefighters continue battling the Dome Fire, although visitors should be prepared for trail closures and changing smoke conditions.
As of September 21, the fire covered 3,222 acres and was 15% contained, with 581 personnel assigned to the response. The National Park Service said the fire continued to spread at a moderate rate, including farther into terrain previously burned by the 2017 Empire Fire.
Several hiking areas remain closed. The Chilnualna Falls Trail and trails leading from the falls toward Buena Vista and Crescent Lakes are closed, although those lakes can still be approached from the east. The Ostrander Lake Trail and areas and trails south of it are also closed, with the restricted zone extending east of Wawona Road between Chinquapin and Wawona.
Smoke conditions may fluctuate throughout the day. Winds were expected to improve conditions in some low-lying areas during the afternoon before shifting later in the day, potentially bringing unhealthy air to Wawona during the evening and overnight. Yosemite Valley could also experience temporary periods of heavier smoke.
Fire crews are reinforcing containment lines along the fire’s western side and have laid approximately a mile of hose near the Ostrander Lake Trailhead. Structure-protection firefighters also remain stationed in Yosemite West and Wawona.
Read the National Park Service bulletin.
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Typhoon Dujuan Triggers Deadly Landslides and Power Outages in Eastern Japan
Typhoon Dujuan brought torrential rain to Japan’s Pacific coast on September 22, triggering landslides and flooding in areas near Tokyo and leaving four people dead and six missing, according to public broadcaster NHK.
Kanagawa and Chiba prefectures were among the areas affected. NHK reported that mud entered a home in Yokosuka, killing a woman in her 60s, while three other deaths were also reported. In nearby Miura, rescuers cleared debris as they searched for a person missing after a home was struck by a landslide.
Flooding also affected Sakura in Chiba Prefecture, where a swollen river overflowed and sent water into nearby homes and streets. Tokyo Electric Power Co. reported that approximately 45,000 households in the region were without electricity.
The typhoon had begun moving northeast away from Japan by Tuesday, but affected communities were dealing with flooding, debris, and power outages in its wake.
The storm comes about a month after another episode of severe rainfall caused widespread flooding in Chiba Prefecture and stranded travelers at Narita Airport.
Read more at Reuters.