Travelers passing through Newark Liberty International Airport during the weekend have still encountered delays and cancellations, following an announcement from a key airline about cutting back on its flight operations.
This past weekend, United Airlines began cancelling 35 daily round-trip flights from their schedule at Newark Airport due to ongoing staff shortages and construction activities.
By 3:15 p.m. on Sunday, at least 336 delays and 111 cancellations had been reported, as per the data.
FlightAware
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Governor Phil Murphy of New Jersey voiced his displeasure on social media late Saturday, describing the travel problems as “totally and completely unacceptable.”
United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby says more than 20% of Newark’s air traffic controllers “walked off the job” this past week, forcing the airline to indefinitely remove nearly three dozen round-trip flights from its Newark schedule per day.
“It’s disheartening to implement additional reductions on an already diminished schedule at Newark, but as we cannot address the immediate FAA staffing challenges, we believe there is no alternative option available to safeguard our passengers,” Kirby stated in a letter.
The postponements and cancelations follow
multiple days of nightmarish travels
— and experts caution that it’s likely to worsen as the busy summer travel season approaches.
According to Newark authorities, this situation stems from shortages in air traffic controllers and ongoing work on one of the runways.
Occasionally, runway work has reduced the airport’s operations to using only one available strip for takeoffs and landings. The facility announced that one of its runways will remain completely shut down until mid-June as part of a rehabilitation effort included in a $121 million initiative.
A third runway exists, yet it becomes unsafe for usage under specific wind conditions. This was demonstrated last Thursday when almost 20% of departing flights from Newark had to be canceled, with over 40% experiencing delays.
The departure delays were not the sole problem; the FAA also reduced the number of incoming flights to Newark Airport. At times, the typical wait time for planes landing at the airport stretched to 381 minutes — over five hours.
It comes after
Monday’s ground stop
This was also due to problems with the equipment. These issues occurred at the FAA airspace operations center in Philadelphia and exacerbated the delays in Newark, which were already happening because of runway construction and insufficient air traffic controller staff.
Previously, controllers for Newark were stationed on Long Island until the FAA compelled them to relocate. Following two system failures earlier this week, numerous employees requested medical leave, resulting in a severe staff shortage by Friday.
Due to the reduced number of controllers, the FAA has had to limit the number of flights in the sky. Many more flights are scheduled by the airlines than are permitted.
A representative from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey released this statement regarding the current transportation challenges: “Despite investing billions in updating Newark Liberty, these enhancements rely on having a completely manned and cutting-edge federal air traffic control system. We persistently encourage the FAA to tackle persistent personnel deficiencies and expedite much-needed technological advancements that keep contributing to holdups within America’s most heavily trafficked aerial pathway.”
Experts indicate that these problems are anticipated to persist throughout the peak summer travel period.
The significance of New York’s airspace for global operations cannot be overstated when considering the continuous flow of travel,” stated ABC News contributor and aviation analyst John Nance. “The closure of a runway represents a significant alteration. Addressing this issue could require considerable time, leading to widespread repercussions across the nation.
This week, Department of Transportation authorities presented a strategy to expand the training process for new air traffic controllers. To encourage retention, the administration is providing higher wages and incentives to postpone retirement dates.
On Friday, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy visited the Philadelphia site that was at the heart of the chaos.
The system is around 25 or even 30 years old,” he stated. “We still rely on floppy disks and copper wires! Do the operators feel annoyed? Absolutely, they’re irritated. They have every right to be upset using such outdated gear. And they definitely should be upset. I assured them that assistance is coming their way.
Meanwhile, Newark Airport has issued a travel warning, advising travelers to verify their flight statuses prior to departing for the airport.
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