The situation at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey has been brewing for years, with American Airlines Captain Dennis Tygell describing it as “one of many volcanoes waiting to erupt.”
Tygell, who has over three decades of flying experience, is among several aviation experts who noted that air traffic control systems have faced escalating pressures due to chronic understaffing, outdated technology, and insufficient investment in vital infrastructure.
“We’ve observed a rise in severe runway incursions that better technology and adequate staffing could have prevented,” Tygell mentioned.
He added that while some incidents draw attention because of the heavy traffic in the constrained airspace, these problems represent broader issues affecting the entire system.
Recent staffing shortages led to a significant incident where an air traffic controller at the FAA facility in Philadelphia lost both radar and radio communications as flights were heading towards Newark, the second busiest airport in the New York Airport System, nearly 90 seconds before the communications failure.
This incident resulted in significant delays and cancellations.
Controllers at the Philadelphia Tracon manage the arrivals and departures for Newark.
In addition to long-standing air traffic control issues, Newark is currently facing heightened tension due to ongoing construction, limiting operations to just one of its two parallel runways.
Nevertheless, Tygell emphasized that safety remains a priority, stating that pilots would “never allow the safety margin to be narrowed regardless of the circumstances.”
Stephen Abraham, a former air traffic controller at JFK Airport in New York, echoed this sentiment, asserting that while the system is “growing,” it is not unsafe.
“Unsafe implies that the controller has made an error, and nationally, the system appears to be very secure,” Abraham remarked.
Abraham and Tygell both indicated that controllers consistently manage traffic levels to ensure safety.
The FAA assured that operations remain safe by reducing the arrival rates at Newark during staffing and equipment challenges.
“Pilots and air traffic controllers don’t operate under dangerous conditions. It’s a professional and moral duty for the safety of passengers and the nation,” Tygell stated. He acknowledged the pressure on safety margins but emphasized that the airline system is designed to manage this effectively.
However, Tygell pointed out that infrastructure challenges, stemming from outdated technology and poor staffing planning, represent a failure in stakeholder commitment to safety culture.
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which oversees New York airports, has deferred comments to the FAA.
The FAA, in a statement to FOX Business, noted that antiquated air traffic control systems are impacting their workforce. They echoed the sentiments of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, who stressed the need for the best safety technology to be made available to controllers promptly.
Last week, Duffy introduced new initiatives aimed at enhancing the hiring and retention of air traffic controllers, including temporary incentive packages designed to discourage experienced controllers from leaving.
The FAA stated that current telecommunications equipment in the New York region is being improved for reliability, working with local phone companies to establish a more resilient backup system in case of failures.
Additionally, the agency is updating its automation systems to bolster resilience.
The FAA reported that controllers managing Newark’s traffic have been taking time to decompress after several recent outages.
While the agency acknowledged that immediate swaps among controllers aren’t feasible due to the specialized nature of the profession, efforts are in place to maintain trained personnel in busy airspace.
