The airport is facing massive shortages.
There is some worrying news for anyone flying through New York. Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR), the second-busiest airport in the New York City area, is facing numerous issues, and passengers are experiencing delays and cancellations every day. After more reports of the ongoing problems emerged this week, the situation looks dire.
Newark has seen hundreds of delays each day for more than a week. On Monday, more than 150 flights were canceled, while many more were delayed. The problems at one of the busiest airports in the U.S. have persisted for a long time, but last week, things escalated after a major equipment failure led to air traffic controllers losing contact with planes and taking leave to recover from the traumatic incident. The staffing issues are so severe that United Airlines is cutting flights, and one staff member has deemed Newark unsafe for passengers.
Related: U.S. Aviation Groups: We Need Emergency Air Traffic Control Funding Now
Compounding Issues
To begin with, airports across the U.S. have been understaffed. There are not enough controllers in over 90% of airports, and, according to the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, operations across the country are running with 3,000 to 4,000 fewer controllers than necessary. At Newark, controllers are hard-pressed due to shortages, but equipment failures are compounding the problems.
Continue Reading Article After Our Video
Recommended Fodor’s Video
On April 28, ATC at the Philadelphia Terminal Radar Approach Control, which manages all arrivals and departures in Newark, lost contact with all planes. The National Air Traffic Controllers Association said in a statement that the controllers “temporarily lost radar and communications with the aircraft under their control, unable to see, hear, or talk to them.” Around 15 to 20 flights were managed by approach controllers when the communication went down, but at least five employees took trauma leave afterward, initiating further delays.
Last week, United CEO Scott Kirby released a statement saying that the airline was canceling 35 round-trip flights from Newark. United operates most flights out of Newark, but the airline has faced challenges at the airport. Kirby mentioned that the airport has been chronically understaffed, but in recent days, it has encountered technological failures that have delayed, diverted, and canceled flights. “Unfortunately, the technology issues were compounded as over 20% of the FAA controllers for EWR walked off the job,” the statement said.
The National Air Traffic Controllers Association clarified that the controllers did not “walk off the job,” but took leave after the traumatic event. “This program [the Federal Employees Compensation Act] covers all federal employees that are physically injured or experience a traumatic event on the job.”
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the blackout lasted about 30 seconds, but it didn’t mean that planes would crash. The Federal Aviation Administration acknowledged the issues and stated that they were working to upgrade the systems. “Frequent equipment and telecommunications outages can be stressful for controllers. Some controllers at the Philadelphia TRACON who work Newark arrivals and departures have taken time off to recover from the stress of multiple recent outages.”
Amid all of this, another hassle is that the airport is renovating one of its runways, which will be closed until mid-June, further restricting operations.
‘Don’t Fly Into Newark’
With summer fast approaching, flying out of Newark might become problematic, and it is receiving increased attention now due to recent issues. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy admitted that the system is very old and ineffective for managing air traffic at its current rate. “We use floppy disks. We use copper wires,” he said. He also mentioned that President Trump was on board to replace the systems, but the new, state-of-the-art facilities across the country will take three to four years.
An air traffic controller at Newark told NBC News‘ Tom Costello that the airport is not safe for passengers. “Really an incredible statement, unsolicited. He just said that to me, and separately, ‘Don’t fly into Newark. Avoid Newark at all costs,’” Costello told MSNBC.
Peter Goelz, former managing director of the National Transportation Safety Board, told CNN that it’s a safe system, but people have a right to be concerned. “I’m not sure I’d want to fly out of Newark over the next week or 10 days. I might choose an alternate route because you cannot expect humans to function at their highest level for sustained periods of time with this kind of pressure on them.”
