Newark Airport Crisis: Equipment Issues Reported Sunday Morning As Duffy Says Flights Should Be Scaled Back

Key Facts

Key Background

Air traffic controllers in a terminal radar approach control tower (TRACON) at Philadelphia International Airport are responsible for directing aircraft in and out of Newark Airport. On April 28, ATCs in Philadelphia’s TRACON “temporarily lost radar and communications with the aircraft under their control, unable to see, hear, or talk to them,” according to a statement provided to Forbes by the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA), the union representing the country’s 10,400 air traffic controllers. Reporting by NBC News revealed that controllers guiding planes into Newark airport have lost radar contact with pilots “at least eight or nine times in recent months” and on at least two other occasions since August.

What Is The Faa Doing To Fix Its Outdated Technology?

On Wednesday, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) unveiled a plan to upgrade the FAA’s communications system, the Standard Terminal Automation Replacement System (STARS), according to a statement released by the agency.At this time, telecommunications lines feed data from STARS in New York to the TRACON at Philadelphia International Airport, where controllers handle Newark arrivals and departures. The FAA’s plan involves adding three new, high-bandwidth telecommunications connections between the New York-based STARS and the Philadelphia TRACON “to provide more speed, reliability and redundancy,” and to establish a STARS hub at the Philadelphia TRACON so that it no longer depends on a telecommunications feed from the New York STARS hub. The improvements will be implemented “in the coming weeks and others in the coming months, and all by the end of the year,” an FAA spokesperson told Forbes. On Thursday, Duffy called for Congress to allocate tens of billions of dollars to overhaul America’s strained air traffic control system and replace its antiquated technology. Duffy said his agency would build a new air traffic control system “in three to four years” but needed Congress to make that happen, adding, “we need all of the money up front.” The aging ATC system presents “an untenable risk to safety,” Jennifer Homendy, the chair of the National Transportation Safety Board, told reporters, repeating a previous urgent call for modernization.

How Is The Air Traffic Controller Shortage Impacting Operations At Newark?

The Philadelphia TRACON that handles Newark traffic has 22 fully certified controllers and 21 controllers and supervisors in training. Four air traffic controllers have been on trauma leave since the April 28 incident. The shortage of controllers has caused hundreds of delayed and canceled flights at Newark Airport over the past 11 days. To compensate for fewer ATCs, the FAA has managed congestion at Newark by implementing frequent ground delay programs. In addition, United Airlines, has cut 35 roundtrip flights per day from its Newark hub. In the larger context, the FAA is challenged by a decades-long shortage of air traffic controllers. In February, Duffy unveiled a plan to “supercharge” the hiring of air traffic controllers to shave “more than four months off the old process.” But it can take nearly four years to become a certified ATC, including spending several months at the FAA Academy in Oklahoma City, then completing up to three years of on-the-job experience before becoming certified, according to the FAA website.

Are The Problems Just At Newark?

When asked Sunday on “Meet the Press” if there were other airports he was worried about, Duffy said “I’m concerned about the whole airspace,” calling the equipment safe, but old. “We have redundancies, multiple redundancies in place to keep you safe when you fly,” Duffy told NBC’s Kristen Welker. “But we should also recognize we’re seeing–we’re seeing stress on an old network, and it’s time to fix it.”

Is Newark Airport Open Sunday?

Newark Airport is open, but is experiencing a ground delay, with flights going into Newark delayed an average of 152 minutes—or about two-and-a-half hours—according to the FAA’s National Airspace System dashboard. These delays are at least in part due to staffing, according to an FAA advisory.

What Travelers Should Know If They Are Flying Through Newark

For airline passengers flying out of Newark, some airlines are issuing travel waivers allowing you to rebook a flight without a change fee. United Airlines, for example, which has a major hub at Newark, is allowing passengers flying in or out of the airport through May 23 to switch to a flight on another day at no extra charge. American Airlines’ travel alert covers flights scheduled through Newark up until May 11 and JetBlue Airways allows passengers flexibility for flights scheduled through Newark until May 31. It’s always a good idea to download your airline’s app to monitor your flight’s status and sign up for text notifications. In the event of a delay or cancellation, the app is often the fastest path to rebooking another flight. FlightAware can let passengers know if your plane is on schedule. Enter your flight information, and then click “Where is my plane now?” under the flight number. You’ll be able to see if the plane is ahead of schedule, on time or behind schedule and can take action accordingly.

Further Reading

Newark Airport Crisis: FAA Announces Upgrade Plan For Communication System (Forbes)

FAA Announces ‘Hiring Supercharge’ For Air Traffic Controllers—But Don’t Expect An Immediate Fix To The Shortage (Forbes)