United Airlines has reduced 35 daily round-trip flights out of Newark Liberty International Airport, attributing the cuts to this issue.
large-scale technology problems and employee shortages
. It comes after
five days of delays
including one flight out of Boston departing almost six hours behind schedule.
The cancellations begin this weekend. This decision from the airline follows approximately one-fourth of Newark Airport’s air traffic controllers leaving their posts due to disagreements over faulty equipment and insufficient staffing levels.
United CEO
On Friday, Scott Kirby sent a message to customers stating that it was “disheartening” to have to implement additional reductions to an already diminished timetable at Newark. However, he explained that due to the Federal Aviation Administration’s shortcomings and staff-related challenges, they had “no option” but to take these measures in order to safeguard their passengers.
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“In recent days, the technology used by FAA air traffic controllers to oversee planes at Newark Airport has malfunctioned multiple times—leading to numerous diversions, hundreds of delays and cancellations, and most distressingly, thousands of travelers whose plans have been significantly upended,” he stated.
The cancellations account for approximately 10% of the airline’s services at the main East Coast airport. Kirby urged that EWR should be categorized as a Level 3 slot-controlled airport, effectively recognizing Newark International Airport as unable to manage its heavy traffic load efficiently.
The New York Post reports this.
Kirby mentioned that technological problems led to more than 20% of the FAA controllers at EWR abandoning their posts. An unnamed Newark Air Traffic Controller disclosed that they experienced a loss of radar on Monday and radio failure on Wednesday.
according to NBC News
“Conditions must be altered. This isn’t a secure environment for air travelers,” stated the ATC employee.
A huge equipment outage
caused a massive wait
For those traveling early in the week, United Airlines Flight 2016 departing from Boston’s Logan Airport experienced a delay of five hours and 38 minutes on Friday, as reported.
Flight Stats
El Al’s flight LY 27 from Tel Aviv to Newark experienced a delay of 12 hours and 48 minutes.
The FAA issued a Ground Delay order for aircraft destined for Newark, forecasting ongoing disruptions into Friday evening, with each flight facing an expected delay averaging around 127 minutes.
“We keep urging the FAA to tackle persistent staff shortages and expedite much-delayed technological improvements that are still resulting in delays within the country’s most congested airspace,” stated the New Jersey Port Authority.
The specifics surrounding the personnel and technological challenges faced by the Philadelphia Terminal Radar Approach Control, which oversees Newark operations, remain undisclosed. On Friday, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy paid a visit and praised the diligent efforts of the air traffic controllers, promising to address malfunctions resulting from obsolete tech systems.
He commented on X: “This situation is unacceptable. We are striving to strengthen the current system. However, this underscores the importance of developing an entirely new air traffic control system.”
