Major East Coast airports grounded airline flights on Tuesday following a strong earthquake that shook the region, U.S. transportation officials said, Reuters reported. Airline operations were halted in Washington and Philadelphia, potentially affecting tens of thousands of passengers at some of the nation's busiest airports at the busiest time of day. Flights from the New York area's John F. Kennedy and Newark airports were resumed after a delay. Officials inspected runways at each airport for any damage. One terminal at Washington's Ronald Reagan National Airport was evacuated as firefighters investigated a potential gas leak. Other terminals remained open. The air traffic control tower at Reagan National was evacuated, officials said. -- SPA
