NEWARK, Flights at a major New York-area hub halted Wednesday evening following an emergency evacuation on the tarmac.

A JetBlue Airbus A320 declared an emergency shortly after takeoff and returned to Newark Liberty International Airport.

Flight 543, carrying 122 passengers to West Palm Beach, touched down safely at approximately 6:00 p.m. local time.

“The crew reported smoke in the cockpit and evacuated passengers via slides,” the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed in a statement.

Emergency slides deployed on the taxiway as first responders surrounded the aircraft near the terminal complex.

Data from FlightAware indicates the Airbus A320-200 was airborne for only 17 minutes before looping back to Newark.

Pilots initially reported an issue with the number one engine before citing smoke conditions during the return.

“We got smoke in the back,” a pilot told air traffic controllers, according to recordings archived by LiveATC.net.

The airport authority immediately issued a ground stop, freezing all inbound and outbound traffic for over an hour.

Newark Liberty officials confirmed normal flight operations resumed at 7:07 p.m., though significant schedule disruptions continued throughout the evening.

Inbound flights faced holding patterns or diversions while emergency crews cleared the jet from the active taxiway.

Tracking service FlightAware registered nearly 400 delays at Newark on Wednesday, making it the most disrupted airport in the nation.

Passengers exited the aircraft using inflatable chutes and were transported to the terminal by bus.

“One person was transported to a local hospital citing chest pains,” a Port Authority spokesperson told reporters at the scene.

Witnesses described a calm but urgent scene as smoke became visible inside the cabin shortly after landing.

Passenger Alexandra Svokos told local media that travellers saw smoke near the cockpit before the evacuation order was given.

JetBlue Airways stated the flight returned due to a “reported engine issue” and emphasized cooperation with investigators.

“Safety is JetBlue’s top priority,” the airline noted, adding that all customers would be re-accommodated on later flights.

The FAA has opened a formal investigation into the mechanical failure and subsequent smoke event.

This incident follows a separate January 2025 event where a JetBlue aircraft clipped a parked plane at Boston Logan.

Federal investigators will analyze the flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder to determine the smoke’s origin.

The Airbus A320 fleet remains a workhorse for the carrier, which operates hundreds of daily flights from the Northeast.

Traffic congestion at Newark persisted late into Thursday morning as airlines worked to clear the backlog of delayed flights.