FAA forms task force in the high-tech chaos of Newark Airport
The tech chaos at Newar Liberty Airport has seen a surge in cancellations and delays in recent weeks, disrupting one of the busiest airports in the United States.
The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating short radio outages at facilities handling flights at Newar Liberty International Airport.
Area C, the Philadelphia Terminal Radar Approach Control (TRACON) facility, lost radio frequency for approximately two seconds at around 11:35am ET on May 19, said in a statement to USA Today. According to the agency, all aircraft remained safely separated and operation is normal.
Flight dictates flights in and out of Newark, New Jersey, have faced a string of outages since April 28, when temporary radio and radar outages led air traffic controllers to lose communication with incoming flights. The first incident led to dozens of flight detours.
Following the April 28 incident, several controllers took medical leave under the Federal Employee Compensation Act, citing the stress of repeated suspensions. Their absence and ongoing staffing issues led to equipment failures as well as permanent flight disruptions at Newark Airport.
The incident has updated the country’s scrutiny regarding the aging air traffic control system, with US authorities warning that the FAA can experience other communications failures. On May 12, a Colorado air traffic control facility experienced a communication halt for approximately 90 seconds.
“What you see in Newark, we have to fix it, we’re going to do it quickly, but we’re going to do it right,” Transport Secretary Sean Duffy said at a May 12 press conference.
“Cannot process scheduled operations at current level”
On May 12, the FAA announced that it was convening an emergency task force and taking emergency measures to quickly track it, to prevent additional communications halts at the Philadelphia Tracon facility, according to Reuters. Principal Chris Rochelow, acting Federal Aviation Administration, said the task force will include L3Harris Technologies, Verizon and other technical experts.
The FAA also met with airline executives and proposed reducing the number of aircraft operations at Newark Airport after a three-day one-on-one meeting, USA Today reported on May 16.
The agency proposed an hourly arrival rate of less than 28 flights until June 15th, but one of the airport’s runways is under construction. The arrival rate will then be limited to 34 per hour until October 25th, when construction is not underway.
In a letter to United Airlines employees, CEO Scott Kirby, who cited the FAA, said Newark Airport is designed to handle 77 departures and arrivals per hour at peak times, but the airline is designed to schedule more flights regularly. The new proposed arrival rate is well below the maximum capacity.
The FAA said it plans to finalize arrival fees after May 28th, according to Reuters.
“The airport clearly cannot handle the current level of scheduled operations,” the FAA said, adding that the proposal would “reduce excessive scheduling, flight delays and cancellations to acceptable levels.”
Federal officials plan to improve aging air traffic control systems
Federal officials say the FAA is “slow modernisation.” According to a 2024 report from the Government Accountability Office, the agency has 138 information systems for air traffic control, with 51 being unsustainable due to outdated functionality, lack of spare parts and other issues.
On May 8, Duffy proposed spending billions of dollars on modernizing the national air traffic control system over the next three to four years. The Transport Secretary noted that equipment breakdowns like Newark Airport will become more common if infrastructure is not upgraded.
“Decades of neglect left us with an outdated system that indicates its age. Building this new system is an economic and national security need, and it’s time to fix it,” Duffy said in a statement.
The proposal comes after the FAA and the Department of Transport promised to upgrade to an air traffic control system that begins in Newark. The agency said it is beginning to work on adding redundant communications equipment and plans to increase the employment of air traffic controllers.
Nationally, the FAA has around 3,500 air traffic controllers, according to Reuters. The area responsible for Newark Airport has staffing levels eligible for 38 certified controllers, but now there are 24 in place.
Contributors: Zach Waite, Josh Rivera, Eve Chen, USA Today. Reuters
