Flights Delays Continue After Newark Airport Communications Outage

Multiple aerial postulation controllers are taking trauma leave aft losing each connection pinch craft for 30 to 90 seconds astatine Newark Liberty International Airport successful New Jersey connected April 28, according to nan Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The effects of that incident are still being felt. On Monday, May 5, different 160 flights were canceled and 375 were delayed going into aliases coming retired of Newark.

What happened connected April 28?

On Monday, April 28, controllers successful Philadelphia Terminal Radar Approach Control (TRACON), which coordinates planes arriving astatine Newark, “temporarily mislaid radar and communications pinch nan craft nether their control, incapable to see, hear, aliases talk to them,” according to nan National Air Traffic Controllers Association.

The outage reportedly lasted betwixt 30 and 90 seconds.

More than a twelve flights were being controlled by Newark Airport controllers erstwhile communications went down, according to nan formation search tract Flightradar24. 

Job market

The FAA presently has astir 10,800 certified aerial postulation controllers, but it needs much than 14,000.

FAA response

The FAA said aggregate aerial postulation power labor are connected trauma time off to woody pinch nan accent caused by nan incident. CNN is reporting astatine slightest 5 labor took 45 days of leave.

In a connection connected Monday, nan FAA confirmed “our antiquated aerial postulation power strategy is affecting our activity force.”

The FAA is presently astir 3,000 aerial postulation controllers short of desired levels. According to CNBC, location are presently 10,800 certified controllers, but nan state needs much than 14,000. 

The agency stepped up nan gait of hiring successful 2024 nether President Joe Biden, but moreover though 2,000 qualified applicants were hired past year, they mightiness barely replace nan 1,100 who near nan occupation either done status aliases owed to nan accent of nan job.

According to nan FAA, astir half of those hired successful immoderate fixed twelvemonth will lavation retired of nan program. That intends moreover pinch an summation successful hiring, it could return up to 9 years to scope afloat staffing, according to Nick Daniels, president of nan National Air Traffic Controllers Association.

What’s being done to hole staffing issues?

Just past week, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy issued a plea for much aerial postulation controllers, offering $5,000 bonuses for caller hires.

Duffy besides warned that nan aerial postulation power strategy is opening to deteriorate.

“You’re starting to spot cracks successful nan system,” Duffy said. “It‘s our occupation to really spot complete nan sky what nan issues are and hole it earlier location is an incident that we will earnestly regret.”

Secretary Duffy said he will unveil a scheme later this week to upgrade nan agency’s equipment and facilities.

Calls for change

On Monday, May 5, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., called for an inspector wide investigation into nan problems astatine Newark.

“The FAA is really a mess,” Schumer said. “This messiness needs a existent forensic look, a heavy look into it. We cognize that airlines person been canceling flights. We person ATC folks giving warnings. We person a 1990 exertion being utilized successful 2025, and we person information issues, plain and simple.”

United Airlines impacted heavily

United Airlines flights person been peculiarly impacted, arsenic Newark is nan company’s East Coast hub. CEO Scott Kirby said successful a statement released Friday, May 2, that United is canceling 35 roundtrip flights done Newark per time successful a move to protect customers.

“It’s now clear – and nan FAA tells america – that Newark airdrome cannot handle nan number of planes that are scheduled to run location successful nan weeks and months ahead,” Kirby said.

Kirby added that 20% of Newark’s aerial postulation power unit had “walked disconnected nan job” successful caller weeks, making things worse astatine an airdrome that’s been “chronically understaffed for years” already.