United Airlines said Tuesday that a severe shortage of air traffic controllers is causing “significant disruption” to travelers at its busy hub in Newark, New Jersey, just outside New York City.
The airline was forced to reduce traffic to its Newark hub by the Federal Aviation Administration due to staffing shortages for 12 of the first 25 days of November, resulting in related delays, cancellations, extended taxi times and flights. The extended hours disrupted more than 343,000 United Airlines travelers, the airline said. Air traffic control delays in Newark.
United Airlines announced that on November 15 alone, 1,880 customers were disrupted by flight cancellations due to air traffic control staffing issues. An additional 24,558 people were disrupted by gate and other delays.
“In Newark airspace, the FAA has been addressing decades-old staffing issues and has been transparent with airlines and travelers about our plans,” the FAA said.
United's comments come as the record-breaking Thanksgiving holiday air travel period begins.
“For this reason, it remains imperative that the FAA restructures its staffing to ensure that travelers can have confidence in safe and efficient air travel,” United said.
Over the past two years, a series of near-miss incidents have heightened concerns about U.S. aviation safety and the strain on understaffed air traffic control operations. Last month, the FAA announced it would begin audits of runway intrusion risks at 45 of the nation's busiest airports following a series of near-miss incidents.
In late July, the FAA required 17 air traffic controllers to move from New York Terminal Radar Approach Control (TRACON), known as N90, to Philadelphia. New York TRACON is one of the busiest facilities in the United States.
FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker told reporters last week that the move would allow the FAA to “reduce stress in New York and increase air traffic controller staffing levels by recruiting and training controllers in Philadelphia.” said it has become possible. Whittaker added that airspace relocation has reduced delays.
In recent years, the FAA has routinely assigned air traffic controllers to work six days a week, forcing them to slow air traffic in the New York area.
The FAA has met its staffing goal with about 3,000 air traffic controllers, and the agency announced last year that the number of certified air traffic controllers was 10,700, about the same as the year before.
In June, the FAA extended reductions in minimum flight requirements at busy New York City-area airports until October 2025, saying the number of air traffic controllers handling New York traffic is insufficient for normal traffic levels.
