The “Big Money Show” panel reflects on the state of American infrastructure following a recent airport disruption.
Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) has been unusually silent on social media amidst significant delays that have forced passengers and airlines to modify their travel plans.
Flight tracking service FlightAware reported that 150 flights at EWR were canceled in the past 24 hours, which is a notable 23% decrease from the same period last year.
In contrast, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and U.S. Department of Transport Secretary Shawn Duffy have been quite vocal, pinning the delays and cancellations on four main factors stemming from a near two-week operational breakdown.
Newark Airport feels the impact of new delays, with air traffic control concerns emerging
1. Staffing issues
Following a brief loss of radar and radio communications on April 28, the FAA informed Fox Business that “some controllers at Philadelphia Tracon are still recovering from the stress of recent incidents.”
“We can’t swiftly replace these specialized roles, yet we are actively training controllers to eventually staff this busy airspace,” the statement added.
The National Air Traffic Controllers’ Union indicated that recovery could take as long as 45 days due to the traumatic nature of the 90-second outage.
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2. Construction
Currently, only one runway is operational at EWR, as confirmed by a FAA spokesperson. The FAA noted that one runway would remain closed until mid-June due to a $121 million rehabilitation project.
3. Weather
Flight delays have also been exacerbated by low cloud coverage affecting visibility at local stations around EWR. Reports indicate that light showers are expected in the New York City metro area.
Newark Airport noted as “one of many volcanoes waiting to erupt,” according to a pilot
4. Old technology
Duffy often highlights that air traffic controllers across the U.S. rely on outdated technology. He tweeted on Tuesday that previous administrations were aware of this issue and failed to take action.
“Biden and Buttigieg celebrated a $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill, the largest known package ever. Yet, they allocated less than 1% for modernizing our air traffic control system,” Duffy remarked.
While the FAA acknowledges the system’s outdated nature, they emphasize efforts to enhance communication reliability in New York by establishing a more robust setup.
