US airport's control tower evacuated over burning smell

Newark Liberty International Airport
Arrivals and departures were temporarily paused at Newark Liberty International Airport. -AP

The control tower at Newark airport ‌outside New York City has been temporarily evacuated and officials ‌ordered a ground stop after a burning smell, US federal aviation authorities say.

"Arrivals and departures are temporarily paused at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey after air traffic controllers evacuated ‌the tower ‌because ⁠of a burning smell coming from an ​elevator," the FAA said.

The pause in traffic at the busy airport came about 7.30am on Monday.

Controllers returned to their station and the ground ⁠stop was lifted about ‌half ​an hour later.

The incident came the morning ​after an Air ‌Canada Express jet collided with a fire truck ​while landing at New York's LaGuardia airport, killing both pilots, injuring dozens and closing ​the ​facility, authorities said.

US ​aviation faces chronic shortages ‌of air traffic controllers and a separate shortfall of Transportation Security Administration officers due to a partial government shutdown that has led to delays, long ​security lines and heightened safety concerns across ​airports around the country.