The
The outage at Newark Liberty International Airport occurred last Monday.
caused air traffic control computer screens to go dark for roughly 60 to 90 seconds, according to multiple sources with knowledge of the incident. It prevented the controllers from talking to aircraft during this time as well.
The outage resulted in controllers quitting their positions, leading to widespread delays and cancellations throughout the last seven days.
“As a result of the incident, the controllers were granted leave under the Federal Employees Compensation Act. This program provides benefits for all federal workers who sustain physical injuries or undergo trauma as part of their work duties,” stated the union representing the air traffic controllers.
The nightmarish delays at Newark Airport continued into yet another day on Monday because of insufficient staffing for air traffic control towers, along with disruptions from runway work and poor weather conditions in the New York City metropolitan region.
The Senate Minority Leader, Chuck Schumer, demanded an inquiry into the “disorder” caused by a scarcity of air traffic controllers coupled with dense fog.
Schumer, a Democrat representing New York, stated his desire for an inspector general’s probe into the postponements and cancelations aimed at stopping their escalation or expansion. In a social media post, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy, also a Democrat, described these holdups as “entirely and totally unacceptable.” He added that Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has expressed dedication to recruiting additional air traffic controllers.
Delays at the congested airport near New York City attracted attention over the weekend after United Airlines announced it would be reducing 35 of its daily flight operations.
On Monday, the Federal Aviation Administration linked the significant arrival delays of around four hours to a mix of personnel shortages and cloudy weather conditions.
United Airlines stated that over 20 percent of Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) controllers at Newark Airport staged a walkout. Due to their absence, Newark airport will be unable to manage the planned volume of flights in the coming weeks and months.
Besides staff shortages, authorities mention that air traffic control system failures have also played a role in the issues occurring at Newark Airport.
over the last week
.
The issue of runway construction has resulted in the airport being reduced to only one runway.
Meanwhile, increasing delays and cancelations led to missed connections for certain passengers.
“We sort of showed up without knowing it was occurring, but it seems like everybody is being affected by it,” stated Cameron Olivier, who is visiting Canada.
As the summer travel season approaches in a matter of weeks, the Department of Transportation has been seeking solutions, such as implementing a strategy to recruit additional air traffic controllers and encouraging some to postpone their retirement.
Authorities are anticipated to unveil an additional strategy later this week aimed at updating air traffic control technology.
United has provided a “flexible” policy
travel waiver
This enables travelers heading to and from Newark to change their travel plans free of charge.
Newark Airport has issued a travel warning, advising travelers to verify their flight statuses prior to departing for the airport.
(ABC News and The Associated Press provided contributions for this report.)
ALSO READ:
What to anticipate in this week’s papal conclave
———-
*
Get Eyewitness News Delivered
*
More New Jersey news
*
Submit a news lead to us
*
Get the abc7NY app to receive breaking news notifications.
*
Follow us on YouTube
Submit a tip or story idea to Eyewitness News
Have a breaking news tip or an idea for a story we should cover? Send it to Eyewitness News using the form below. If attaching a video or photo,
terms of use apply.
Leave a Reply