Travelers endured another nightmarish day at Newark Liberty International Airport on May 6 due to staff shortages compounded by adverse weather conditions and ongoing construction work, resulting in further flight delays and cancellations. This situation has persisted for over a week now, leaving countless passengers either stuck or experiencing significant holdups.
A ground delay was still in effect on the morning of May 7, the
Federal Aviation Administration reported
Departures to the airport experienced delays averaging 161 minutes because of staffing issues, as well as windy conditions and low cloud bases that necessitated operating with only one runway due to ongoing construction.
As of 12 p.m.,
FlightAware
recorded 194 delays and 100 cancellations at the airport.
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This follows a week of disturbances caused by several elements such as
FAA issues with equipment and personnel
,
runway construction
and weather.
On May 5
According to FlightAware, Newark Liberty experienced 420 delays and 160 cancellations.
Governor Phil Murphy described the delays and cancellations as “totally and entirely unacceptable” in a statement.
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Over the weekend, he wrote: “I am aware that [Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy] is dedicated to tackling our countrywide air traffic controller shortage by boosting recruitment efforts. Recent events have underscored the urgency for reversing the trend of staff reduction at the FAA that has persisted over many years.”
The governor sent a letter
to Duffy on May 5 asking for technology and facility upgrades.
To view the latest FAA delay updates, visit
nasstatus.faa.gov
.
Rebooking customers impacted by United Airlines flights at Newark
United Airlines, which runs the highest number of flights from Newark, has been disproportionately affected by these continuing problems. On May 2,
United CEO Scott Kirby announced
that the airline will discontinue 35 daily flights from the airport due to FAA equipment malfunctions and personnel shortages.
FAA air traffic controllers depend on systems that experienced failures at Newark Airport, leading to numerous diversions, hundreds of delays and cancellations, and most critically, disrupting travel plans for thousands of passengers,” Kirby stated in an emailed message to clients. “The situation worsened due to more than 20 percent of the FAA controllers at Newark refusing to work.
In the midst of the disturbances, United Airlines has announced
multiple travel alerts
, keeping customers updated about their choices as they keep experiencing delays and cancellations.
At first, from May 1 through May 5, United Airlines provided travel waivers for flights impacted by the “Newark disruption.” In order to use this waiver, tickets needed to be bought on or prior to April 29.
The notification states, “You have the option to rearrange your travel plans with us waiving any modification charges and price discrepancies.” However, it adds, “Your newly scheduled departure has to be on a United Airlines flight taking off from April 30, 2025 through May 12, 2025. The booking should remain within the original class of service and for flights connecting the initially reserved destinations.”
The airline has expanded its offering to include impacted flights from May 6 through May 17. As stated in the United notification, passengers with affected trips within this period have the option to rearrange their journey; the airline will not charge modification fees nor fare discrepancies for doing so. Nonetheless, the alternative flight needs to be operated by United Airlines and scheduled anytime up to two days before or following the initial departure date of your booking. The ticket should remain consistent regarding both class level and route—same origin-destination pair—or could also involve routes via LaGuardia or Philadelphia airports. It’s important to mention that this provision pertains exclusively to reservations made on or before May 4th.
For additional information, visit
https://www.united.com/en/us/fly/travel/trip-planning/travel-alerts.html
.
Regarding other airlines, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey stated that passengers experiencing delays or cancellations should reach out to their specific airline for information regarding travel vouchers.
Can you obtain a travel voucher for delays at Newark Airport?
In April 2024, the
The Department of Transportation enacted a concluding regulation.
To resolve problems flagged by airline travelers attempting to get reimbursements following flight delays or cancellations.
Travelers have the right to receive a refund if:
- Their flight has been cancelled, and the airline doesn’t reschedule them.
- Their flight has been cancelled, and they are not accepting rescheduling.
- The airline has made significant alterations to their flight details, which they refuse to acknowledge along with all offered options for rescheduling or additional compensations. Such major modifications might encompass various adjustments like scheduling shifts, route deviations, and extra layovers, amongst others.
- Their baggage is significantly delayed
- Extra services are not provided
The process to obtain and redeem compensation such as refunds or flight vouchers may differ among airlines. For example, according to the
United Airlines website
, customers can fill out a refund form to request a full refund if their flight is disrupted and they choose not to travel.
If a customer booked through United and wants to rebook their flight, they can make changes online. If a customer changes their plans due to a flight disruption, they will waive any change fees. If the customer booked with someone else,
United says
To reach out to the booking website or travel agency directly.
For more information, visit
https://www.united.com/en/us/fly/travel/Missed-delayed-or-canceled-flights.html
.
Representatives from American Airlines, JetBlue, and Spirit did not promptly reply to requests seeking details about travel vouchers.
To learn more specifics regarding the DOT’s regulation, check out
https://www.transportation.gov/briefing-room/what-airline-passengers-need-know-about-dots-automatic-refund-rule
.
The article initially appeared on NorthJersey.com.
Are you able to obtain a travel voucher due to delays and cancellations at Newark Airport?
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