More than 450 flights have experienced delays following a suspension order due to air traffic control failures over the weekend, leading to significant disruptions.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has issued a warning that a second ground halt may occur, considering the current situation at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International, the busiest airport in the U.S.
This warning follows a Sunday order that paused operations due to a runway equipment issue, which caused over 500 flights to be affected in and out of Atlanta, compounded by air traffic control equipment problems and a thunderstorm.
On Monday, the majority of delays impacted Delta Air Lines, which uses Atlanta as its main hub.
At Newark Liberty International, an additional 85 flights were cancelled, with 82 cancellations reported after disruptions on Sunday, according to FlightAware.
The FAA mandated a 45-minute ground stop at Newark Airport after one of its air traffic control facilities was halted, resulting in numerous cancellations and delays.
Passengers were warned on Monday that an average delay of 19 minutes was anticipated for all flights until 9 PM, attributed to “FAA staffing issues.”
Newark gained national attention on Friday when a radar failure caused a complete outage, prompting U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy to announce traffic reductions at the airport for the upcoming weeks.
Duffy expressed confidence in the safety of operations at Newark, even as he noted the use of an “old” system, and indicated plans to meet with all airlines operating from the airport.
He also criticized his predecessor, Pete Buttigieg, and the Biden administration for neglecting to update Newark during his tenure and for mishandling air traffic control transitions between New York and Philadelphia last year.
