Significant flight disruptions continue at Newark Liberty International Airport following equipment failures and ongoing air traffic controller shortages. Travelers have faced days of delays and cancellations this week as authorities work to stabilize operations in the busy airspace.
The problems stem primarily from an incident last week where air traffic controllers managing planes for Newark Liberty International Airport
temporarily lost radar and communication capabilities. Controllers reported they could not see or talk to aircraft under their guidance. A report citing sources familiar with the matter indicated the outage lasted nearly 90 seconds. (Source) (Source)
The Federal Aviation Administration confirmed that some employees took time off following the incident, citing stress. The National Air Traffic Controllers Association stated controllers did not "walk off the job" but utilized leave provisions available after a traumatic event on duty.
More than 1,500 flights experienced delays at the airport last week, according to flight tracking websites. On Monday alone, over 150 flights were canceled and more than 350 were delayed. The FAA announced a ground delay for inbound flights Tuesday morning, adding to the disruptions.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy described the system used to manage air traffic as "incredibly old," noting reliance on "floppy disks" and "copper wires." He stated the current infrastructure is not effective for today's air traffic volume. Duffy is expected to announce plans for a new system this week, though implementation may take years.
United Airlines announced it would cut 35 flights per day from its Newark Airport hub to add buffer to the schedule. The airline's CEO, Scott Kirby, described the air traffic control facility overseeing the airport as chronically understaffed for years.
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which operates the airport, stated its infrastructure investments depend on a fully staffed and modern federal air traffic system. New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy urged Secretary Duffy to address staffing shortfalls and accelerate technology upgrades.
Hiring and training new air traffic controllers presents challenges. Applicants generally must be younger than 31 to meet career length requirements before mandatory retirement at 56. Training for a specific facility like the one handling Newark requires extensive memorization and time. (Source)
Despite the aged technology and staffing strain, officials maintain the system remains safe, partly by slowing or grounding traffic when capacity is reached. However, former National Transportation Safety Board managing director Peter Goelz expressed concern. "Anytime it's stressed like this, where you have controllers who are feeling under maximum pressure, it impacts safety," Goelz said. "You cannot expect humans to function at their highest level for sustained periods of time with this kind of pressure on them."
