Travelers face continued disruptions at Newark Liberty International Airport following a radar outage last week that caused air traffic controllers to lose contact with planes. Delays persisted into a ninth day as operations recovered from the disruption that began on April 28.
The incident occurred when air traffic radar went dark at a facility managing flights in the Newark area. Audio captured by LiveATC.net reveals the moment a pilot called out multiple times, "Approach, are you there?", receiving no immediate response. The communication loss lasted up to 90 seconds according to some estimates.
The outage forced air traffic controllers to rely on backup procedures, creating what some described as a perilous situation. The failure impacted information from radars operated remotely, highlighting concerns about the system's reliability and lack of redundancy. One source noted the setup is like using "a long extension cord."
The disruption resulted in hundreds of flight cancellations and delays, impacting thousands of passengers. The strain on air traffic control staff was evident, with multiple employees taking trauma leave after the incident.
Staffing shortages at air traffic control facilities compound system vulnerabilities, according to controllers. The Federal Aviation Administration acknowledged its antiquated air traffic control system is impacting its workforce.
United Airlines, a major operator at Newark, responded to the ongoing issues by cutting flights from its schedule last week. The airline also offered fee waivers for affected customers seeking to reschedule flights. The Major airline makes big change aims to ease passenger burdens amid the operational chaos.
The FAA transferred control of Newark airspace to the Philadelphia facility last July, operating the radars via a remote data feed. This setup lacks a backup, leading to the failure when the primary connection went down.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy called the outage a sign of a "frail system in place" that requires repair. New York Senator Chuck Schumer described the radar going dark over a busy airport as tempting fate if no changes are made. US Rep. Andy Kim of New Jersey stated his staff is pressing the FAA for answers on steps to resolve the situation.
Former air traffic controller Colin Scoggins noted that losing both radar and communications is a scary experience for controllers. Aviation analyst Miles O’Brien praised controllers for their efforts in a system he believes sets them up for failure.
"I think, as I always say, that the controllers, the individuals who run this system daily, perform quiet heroic acts, in spite of a system that is built to set them up for failure," O’Brien said.
