There’s some serious turbulence on the ground right now.
On Friday, United Airlines announced it would be cutting back 35 round-trip flights each day at Newark Liberty International Airport, pointing to ongoing technological challenges and staffing shortages at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). This situation has led to some staggering delays—over five days in some cases, including a flight from Boston that’s been stuck in limbo.
This round of cancellations, accounting for about 10% of United’s flights at major East Coast airports, begins this weekend. The spokesperson noted that this decision was essential to manage the fallout from technical malfunctions and the significant number of FAA air traffic controllers out of commission at Newark (EWR), causing chaos for New York City air traffic overall.
“It’s unfortunate to have to further reduce an already limited schedule at Newark,” the airline said. “But we believe there’s no other choice to protect our customers, given the short-term challenges with FAA staffing.”
Recently, critical technology systems necessary for FAA controllers to efficiently manage flight patterns at Newark faced significant trouble, resulting in hundreds of canceled flights and leaving thousands of customers in disarray.
Furthermore, according to Kirby, over 20% of the FAA controllers at EWR have quit due to these ongoing tech troubles.
An unnamed air traffic controller shared that they lost radar access on Monday and then the radio went down on Wednesday, which is, well, concerning.
“We really need some changes. This isn’t a safe situation for those flying,” the controller mentioned to a news source.
As for United flight 2016 from Logan in Boston, it faced a massive delay of over five and a half hours on Friday. And if you’re wondering, driving from Logan to Newark typically takes under four hours, according to Google Maps.
Meanwhile, an El Al flight from Tel Aviv to Newark experienced a staggering delay exceeding 12 hours. The FAA reported that ground delays were enforced for Newark flights, averaging delays of 127 minutes.
“We are continuing to press the FAA to tackle the persisting staffing shortages and expedite the needed technological upgrades. It’s vital for managing the busiest air corridor in the nation,” the New Jersey Port Authority stated.
“The Port Authority has invested billions into modernizing Newark Liberty, yet these advancements hinge entirely on available staff and a modernized federal air traffic system.”
While the FAA hasn’t clarified the staffing and technical problems at the Philadelphia Terminal Radar Approach Control, Transport Secretary Shawn Duffy made a visit on Friday to address the matter.
“We’re here today to meet with dedicated air traffic controllers in Philadelphia and address these outages caused by outdated tech. This just isn’t acceptable. We’re committed to strengthening our systems,” he shared on social media.
Kirby acknowledged the proactive measures taken by the previous administration to invest in the FAA’s technology and infrastructure, but emphasized that the immediate challenges at Newark are pressing.
Finally, Kirby suggested that Newark (EWR) should be designated as a Level 3 Slot Control Airport. This recommendation comes as Newark officially indicates it can’t manage the current traffic levels.
