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Jetblue Flight to West Palm Beach Returns to Newark, Prompting Brief Airport Shutdown

Feb 19, 2026·1 min read

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Newark Liberty International Airport briefly suspended all flight operations Wednesday evening after what officials described as an aircraft emergency involving a departing JetBlue flight.

The airport said operations were temporarily halted while an aircraft was removed from a taxiway following an earlier incident. A ground stop was put in place shortly before 6 p.m., and the airport reopened just after 7 p.m., though some delays continued.


JetBlue Flight 543, which was headed to Palm Beach International Airport in Florida, turned back about 40 minutes after departure because of an engine issue. The Federal Aviation Administration said the crew reported smoke in the cockpit.

The aircraft landed safely and passengers were evacuated using emergency slides. No injuries were immediately reported.

The FAA said it is investigating. JetBlue said it would work with federal authorities to determine what occurred.