The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is working to cut back on flights in and out of Newark Liberty International Airport in an effort to minimize delays and manage crowding.
On Tuesday, the FAA issued an order limiting the number of arrivals and departures at the airport to 28 per hour until the construction on Runway 4 left/22 right is completed.
This runway work is scheduled to finish on June 15th, but construction will continue on Saturdays through the end of 2025. If no construction is taking place, the airport can handle up to 34 flights per hour.
The FAA aims to ease “the inconvenience caused by flight delays due to construction, staffing issues, and recent equipment troubles,” which have ripple effects across the airspace system.
This order took effect just before a busy travel weekend. Following a meeting with airline representatives from May 14-16, various strategies to address delays and crowding were discussed.
Federal agencies might reconsider these flight limits if they find that increased capacity at Newark can be managed without “significantly” raising delay times.
Consequently, airlines have already begun to reduce their flight schedules to Newark.
Transport Secretary Sheen Duffy reassured earlier this month that it remains safe to travel to and from Newark despite various disruptions, including temporary issues with radar and communications.
“I dislike delays and cancellations as much as anyone,” he said. “But what’s important is getting you to your destination safely, even if that means we have to slow things down at Newark.”
