AT&T cables were intentionally cut at Sacramento International Airport on Thursday, cutting off internet service to at least two major airlines, causing significant flight delays, the airport announced.
Airport spokesman Scott Johnston said by phone that the outage temporarily halted check-in service, primarily for Southwest Airlines and Delta Air Lines, but occurred just before 1:20 a.m. and disrupted operations for several hours. He said it was disorganized.
Johnston said hundreds of people waited in long lines to check in at the Southwest Terminal until internet service was restored Thursday afternoon and normal operations resumed. He added that the service team determined that the cable, located approximately 4.5 miles from the airport, was “deliberately severed.”
An AT&T spokesperson said in an email that the company has “restored internet and wireless service to affected customers.”
Sacramento County Sheriff's Office spokesman Amar Gandhi said the cable, about the width of a garden hose, attached to a utility pole had been neatly severed in one spot about 4 to 5 feet off the ground. Ta. He said his approach seemed “very precise” and “very targeted.”
“It's not like the wires were loose and hanging down,” he added. “It took some knowledge and expertise to know what to cut and how to cut it.”
Authorities said there were no suspects, adding they were reviewing video footage and following leads. No information was provided regarding a potential motive.
In a statement, the FBI's Sacramento field office said it was “investigating a communications failure at Sacramento International Airport” along with the sheriff's office and could not comment further.
The California Governor's Office of Emergency Services is also “monitoring the situation,” agency spokeswoman Amy Palmer said by phone.