Newark Airport Delays: Inside the Air Traffic Control Challenges at EWR

Topline

Newark Liberty International Airport experienced numerous flight delays on Sunday because of problems with air traffic control, just a few days following the incident involving United Airlines.
announced
It had to scrap multiple flights because of technology problems and air traffic control issues.

Key Facts

Over 140 departures from Newark were experiencing delays, with 56 cancellations, as reported around 3 PM EDT on Sunday. Additionally, inbound flights to Newark faced significant disruptions, with 184 being delayed, as stated by the flight tracking website.
FlightAware
.

On Sunday, it marked seven consecutive days of air traffic controller shortages causing delays at Newark Liberty, as reported by CNN’s aviation correspondent.
Pete Muntean
.

On Saturday, 44%, which amounts to 226 flights, departing from Newark experienced delays, and similarly, 48% of the arrivals at Newark were also delayed.

The delays persisted following United Airlines’ announcement on Friday that they would be cancelling 35 round-trip flights each day from Newark beginning over the weekend. This decision came as a result of issues with their air traffic technology, which led to numerous diversions, hundreds of cancellations and delays, and most distressingly, thousands of passengers facing disruptions to their travel arrangements.

United Airlines’ CEO Scott Kirby stated that “the technology problems were exacerbated because more than 20 percent of the Federal Aviation Administration controllers at EWR left their posts.”

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here
.

Big Number

440. That’s how many flights United and United Express operated out of Newark daily before the cuts, making it the airline traveling most frequently out of the airport, the
Associated Press
reported.

What Is the Duration of the Delays?

As of shortly after 3 p.m. EDT, the
FAA
Gate holds and taxi delays were averaging from 1 hour and 15 minutes to 1 hour and 29 minutes.

What Issues Is Newark Facing?

Starting around 3 p.m. EDT on April 28, social media posts indicated that Newark announced they were dealing with an “FAA equipment issue” leading to delays in arrivals and departures at EWR. On both May 1st and May 2nd, issues persisted at EWR
tweeted
There were delays attributed to “staff shortages at the FAA and ongoing construction.” One of Newark’s runways remains shut down until mid-June for repairs under a $121 million initiative. This shutdown has led to rerouting of flights onto different runways, resulting in minor delays. Additionally, thunderstorms exacerbated these delays at Newark on Saturday.
according
to its social media.

What Air Traffic Control Problems Are Occurring?

Throughout this week, the FAA has updated us stating that EWR has experienced ground delays attributed to staff shortages; however, they have not elaborated on what caused these staffing problems.
CNN
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy revealed a strategy on Thursday aimed at “bolstering the ranks of air traffic controllers,” addressing the significant staffing shortages across the country. According to a press statement, this series of measures intends to facilitate quicker entry for top-tier applicants into control towers and roles, alongside enhancing the retention rates among seasoned professionals. Under the initiative, USDOT plans to provide a temporary incentive scheme designed to persuade veteran controllers not to retire prematurely. Additionally, improvements in recruitment processes aim to streamline access for new hires.
expand
Facilities where experienced military air traffic controllers are certified include offering financial rewards to program completers, providing bonuses to newly appointed controllers working at “difficult-to-manage locations,” expediting standard medical and security screenings, and boosting faculty numbers at the Air Traffic Control Training Center in Oklahoma City. In addition to these personnel measures, Kirby stated that the issues faced at Newark were longstanding concerns rather than isolated incidents specific to this New Jersey airport. He added, “*For years,* United Airlines has pressed the U.S. administration to utilize its power to cap flight volumes within realistic operational limits.” According to him, previous failures to implement such adjustments have resulted in situations currently confronted by both United and, more crucially, their passengers.

What have air traffic controllers reported?

Following Duffy’s announcement about the new hiring and retention initiative, The National Air TrafficControllers Association issued a statement commending the effort. However, they emphasized that personnel levelsare only part of the larger challenges confrontingthe sector.They stressed the urgent needfor improvements in both technologyand infrastructure within theNational Airspace System as well.
release
.

What Have Authorities Stated Regarding These Problems?

Duffy said in a
post
On X, the “outdated” technology at Newark is “responsible for the outages and delays experienced there.” He mentioned that he will be “unveiling a plan next week to develop an entirely new air traffic control system.”

Tangent

Newark frequently appears at the bottom of national airport rankings. As one of the three primary airports serving the New York City region, it often faces criticism due to its subpar service. According to The Wall Street Journal’s latest airport assessment,
Newark
finished at the bottom regarding scores for reliability, convenience, and value.