Newark Liberty International Airport shut down briefly on Wednesday evening after a JetBlue flight heading to Florida made an emergency landing. The aircraft departed Newark at 5:43 p.m. for West Palm Beach, but engine trouble forced its immediate return. “Flight operations at Newark Liberty are temporarily suspended while an aircraft is removed from the taxiway due to an earlier incident. Travelers are encouraged to check with their airline for up-to-date travel information,” the airport said in a statement. Travel Advisory Flight operations at Newark Liberty are temporarily suspended while an aircraft is removed from the taxiway due to an earlier incident. Travelers are encouraged to check with their airline for up-to-date travel information. pic.twitter.com/x4V12jp51u — Newark Liberty International Airport (@EWRairport) February 18, 2026 The major travel hub was expected to be closed from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. ET, but reopened shortly after 7 p.m. Video and images of the aircraft below: https://t.co/myQ0aFfb2F — KolHaolam (@KolHaolam) February 19, 2026 More from the New York Post: A ground stop was originally in place from 5:42 p.m. to 7 p.m. for an “aircraft emergency” that was caused by an engine issue on the JetBlue flight, which was headed for West Palm Beach, Florida, the airline confirmed in a statement. The plane was taking off from Newark Airport, but turned around and landed back on the tarmac just 40 minutes into the journey, according to FlightAware. In a preliminary statement, the FAA confirmed that JetBlue Flight 543 “landed safely” after crews “reported smoke in the cockpit and evacuated passengers via slides” around 6 p.m. Video taken by other travelers stranded on the taxiway captured a fleet of emergency response vehicles parked on the tarmac. Traffic is suspended at Newark after JetBlue flight #B6543 returned to the airport with a technical issue. Passengers and crew vacated the aircraft on a taxiway. https://t.co/HP3yRnYiBX pic.twitter.com/nDFzW4Up3h — Flightradar24 (@flightradar24) February 18, 2026 CBS Evening News provided video coverage: BREAKING: Newark Airport remains closed until 11 p.m. Wednesday after a ground stop was issued due to an aircraft emergency. Port Authority of New York and New Jersey said a JetBlue flight heading to Palm Beach, Florida, reported smoke in the cockpit and immediately turned around… pic.twitter.com/hr7Dt2dMZS — CBS Evening News with Tony Dokoupil (@CBSEveningNews) February 18, 2026 PIX 11 noted: “On Wednesday, February 18, JetBlue flight 543 from Newark (EWR) to West Palm Beach (PBI) returned to Newark shortly after takeoff following a reported engine issue and smoke in the cabin,” wrote a spokesperson for JetBlue. The aircraft landed safely, and customers and crewmembers evacuated using the aircraft’s slides. Safety is JetBlue’s top priority. We are focused on supporting our customers and crewmembers and will work closely with the appropriate federal authorities to investigate what occurred.”