By Youssef Yahya 
On Sunday, travelers at Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) experienced significant delays after a fire broke out at Terminal A. The flames appeared to have engulfed a Starbucks within the terminal, causing disruptions that lasted several hours.
The Incident: Flames Engulf Starbucks
The fire was initially reported early in the morning at Terminal A, EWR’s newest terminal, which opened in 2023 and boasts state-of-the-art features. Aviation enthusiast JonNYC shared a photo of the fire on X (formerly known as Twitter), showing a Starbucks location in flames. The area outside the coffee shop appeared deserted, with chairs still placed on top of the tables, indicating that the terminal was relatively empty at the time of the fire.
Airport officials referred to the situation as a “building utility issue” and advised passengers to check with their respective airlines for updates regarding their flights. At approximately 3:30 a.m., EWR issued a statement noting that “ongoing maintenance work” was happening in the terminal and recommended that travelers allow extra time for arriving or departing.
Traveler Frustrations Mount
Passengers at the airport quickly took to social media to express their frustrations. One traveler reported hearing alarms at around 4:30 a.m. and shared that the terminal was still closed at that time. This passenger recounted arriving early, only to find all the TSA employees waiting outside, unable to enter the terminal. “It’s 4:24 a.m., and there are still no employees, and the gates are closed. The alarm has gone off three times,” the traveler remarked.
Nearly 20 minutes later, the same traveler noted that the terminal remained closed, with no announcements from airport officials. At 4:47 a.m., they reported that people were growing increasingly anxious due to the lack of communication or updates.
Sprinklers Cause Flooding, Exacerbating Delays
JonNYC also reported that the airport’s sprinkler system, triggered by the fire, caused flooding in the baggage rooms, which likely resulted in additional delays for passengers. Due to the flooding, arriving baggage was rerouted to Terminals B and C, further inconveniencing travelers.
Frustrations were not limited to those waiting inside the terminal. Inbound flights were also significantly delayed, with one Delta Air Lines passenger sharing that their plane had been sitting on the tarmac for an hour and a half with “ZERO communication to explain what” was causing the delay.
Widespread Flight Delays
Data from FlightAware showed that a total of 187 flights were delayed at Newark Liberty International Airport on Sunday. Of these, 104 originated from EWR, while 83 were inbound from other airports. United Airlines, which is EWR’s largest operator, faced the most delays, with 102 of its flights affected. JetBlue Airways experienced 18 delays, American Airlines had 16, and Delta Air Lines had four, all of which operate out of Terminal A.
RELATED: Why “Delta Air Lines” Not “Delta Airlines”?
Operations Resume and Unanswered Questions
By 1:15 p.m. on Sunday, EWR confirmed that the situation had been resolved, and operations slowly resumed. However, the lack of communication from airport officials throughout the ordeal left many travelers frustrated. One passenger even called on U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg to launch an investigation into how the incident was handled.
As of now, it remains unclear what caused the fire or which specific Starbucks location was affected. Terminal A houses two Starbucks stores post-security, but images suggest the fire occurred at the location near Gate 9 on the south side of the terminal’s center concourse. This area is frequently used by American Airlines.
Youssef Yahya is the CEO and Founder of Aviation for Aviators, a platform dedicated to the aviation industry. With over 3 years of experience as an aviation writer, Youssef is passionate about sharing his insights on aviation, entrepreneurship, and the broader business landscape. As a Teaching Assistant in Entrepreneurship at Nile University, he also nurtures the next generation of entrepreneurs. When he’s not exploring the skies or business ventures, you can find him saying, ‘Drag your coffee, and let’s talk aviation, entrepreneurship, and football.’
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Bassem Youssef