An unsettling situation went down this morning at Newark Liberty International Airport … with air traffic controllers evacuated from the tower after reports of smoke, triggering a ground stop.

The FAA said the tower was evacuated due to a burning smell coming from an elevator ... and said there was no fire. As a result, arrivals and departures are temporarily paused.

The incident is especially unnerving given what went down at LaGuardia Airport just hours earlier ... when a collision between an Air Canada jet and a fire truck on the runway killed two pilots and injured dozens of people. As a result, the airport will be closed until 2 PM ET Monday at the earliest.

While the Newark situation isn’t as severe … it’s only adding to an already tense morning. Stay safe out there.