Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey has been experiencing more than a week of significant flight delays and cancellations because of air traffic control staffing shortages, outdated technology and equipment that is causing communication issues.
Newark's situation has reportedly been so bad over the last few days that one air traffic controller told MSNBC on Monday that travelers should "avoid Newark at all costs" because "it is not a safe situation right now for the flying public."
Newark was the U.S.'s 14th-busiest airport in 2024, in terms of departing flights, according to OAG Aviation, a flight analysis database. FlightAware, a flight-tracking website, reported that Newark had the most canceled and delayed arrivals and departures in the world, with 273 delays (both within the U.S. and internationally) and 151 cancellations on Monday alone.
On Monday, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) implemented a Ground Delay Program at Newark Airport, which caused all flights to be delayed an average of almost four hours.
While New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy called the delays and cancellations "completely and utterly unacceptable" in a post on X, the FAA and Department of Transportation (DOT) have been dealing with similar issues, particularly air traffic control staffing shortages, across the country over the last few years.
What is happening at Newark Airport right now?
While air traffic control staffing shortages have long been an issue, the recent delays and cancellations at Newark were reportedly caused by the loss of radar and communication with the aircraft under their control due to outdated technology, the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) said in a statement to CNN. NATCA is a union that represents air traffic controllers throughout the U.S.
A source told CNN that controllers in Philadelphia's Terminal Radar Approach Control, which coordinates planes arriving at Newark, lost connectivity on April 28 between the FAA radar and the frequencies air traffic controllers use to manage their assigned planes. CNN reported that five FAA employees at Newark took 45 days off due to the stress of temporarily losing "radar and communications with the aircraft under their control, unable to see, hear or talk to them." The FAA allows employees to take up to 45 days off, with continuation of pay, if they go through "traumatic events."
Since Newark is already understaffed with air traffic controllers, the absence of these five additional employees triggered a week of daily flight cancellations and delays.
"The National Airspace System is … long overdue for technology and infrastructure upgrades," NATCA said in a statement. "The nation's air traffic controllers, other aviation safety professionals, and all participating in the United States aviation system deserve the world's best air traffic control system."
In addition to the staffing shortage and the tech equipment, Newark announced that, starting on April 15, it would be closing one of its runways, Runway 4L-22R, one of the airport's busiest for departing flights, as part of a $121 million project. Newark's website says that the construction is expected to be done by mid-June.
United Airlines temporarily cancels all Newark flights
Scott Kirby, CEO of United Airlines, announced on Friday that it would be canceling its 35 daily round-trip flights to and from Newark for the near future.
"In the past few days, on more than one occasion, technology that FAA air traffic controllers rely on to manage the airplanes coming in and out of Newark airport failed — resulting in dozens of diverted flights, hundreds of delayed and canceled flights and worst of all, thousands of customers with disrupted travel plans," Kirby wrote in a letter to United customers on Friday.
Kirby claimed that 20% of air traffic controllers at Newark joined in a walkout protest in response to the outdated technology. NATCA has not announced a planned walkout at Newark on its website, but has previously expressed concern over staffing shortages.
Kirby went on to compliment Newark, which has had a strong relationship with United Airlines for over 60 years. But he noted that it did not seem like the FAA or Newark would be able to resolve these problems anytime soon.
“These challenges are not new to Newark,” Kirby wrote. “United has been urging the US government for *years* to use its authority to effectively limit the number of flights to what the airport can realistically handle. Past failure to make those changes had led to the circumstances that United and, most importantly, our customers now face.”
Air traffic control shortages are a problem across the U.S.
Newark Airport is not alone. The FAA commissioned an independent safety review of the U.S. airspace system in 2023, which resulted in a report that found air traffic control staffing was very low and, when combined with outdated equipment and technology, was causing a lot of the problems.
A DOT report from 2023 found that the FAA may be facing air traffic control staffing issues because the COVID-19 pandemic paused training. The report says that the FAA "lacks a plan" to fix staffing shortages, which "poses a risk to the continuity of air traffic operations."
According to Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, there is a national shortage of around 3,000 air traffic controllers. At a May 1 press conference, Duffy said while the Department of Transportation is working to resolve the issue, it can't be fixed overnight.
Duffy said the FAA and DOT have come up with a list of incentives to increase the number of certified air traffic controllers, including a 30% salary increase for new hires, extra resources for students in the academy studying to pass the air traffic control exam and a $5,000 bonus for anyone who graduates from the academy.
"It takes a long time to train an air traffic controller," Mary Schiavo, a former Department of Transportation inspector general, told CNN in January after an American Airlines flight fatally collided with a helicopter near Reagan National Airport. "It's very expensive. And about a third of them wash out because it's very rigorous."
Air traffic controllers have a mandatory retirement age of 56, but Duffy has argued that many people are taking early retirement, so the DOT is also offering financial bonuses for controllers who agree serve until they're 56. The FAA is now accepting applications only from people under the age of 31.
"This new recruitment award and retention incentive program is a meaningful step toward addressing the ongoing staffing shortages in air traffic control across the National Airspace System," NATCA president Nick Daniels said in response to Duffy's press conference. "Addressing air traffic controller staffing is just one of the critical issues facing the air traffic control system. The National Airspace System is also long overdue for technology and infrastructure upgrades."