Travelers may want to avoid connecting through Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR), as it continues facing delays that began last week. On Sunday, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) implemented a Ground Delay Program, with flights delayed an average of four hours that evening, as noted by an FAA advisory. A combination of issues led to the delays, including technology malfunctions, according to Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy; a runway closing for rehabilitation work; the air traffic controller shortage across the country; and last week’s walk-off by air traffic controllers in Newark, according to United CEO Scott Kirby.
Newark Airport is a major East Coast hub
EWR serves the New York metropolitan area, and is the 14th busiest airport in the U.S., according to data from the Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics. The airport is also a major hub for United Airlines, which cancelled 50 flights on Monday and delayed 225 more, according to data on FlightAware.
United CEO Scott Kirby commented: “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.”
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy added that outdated technology led to the technology failures, saying current equipment is “incredibly old”. He promised to install a new “state-of-the-art” system across the country, though that could take three to four years. He said President Trump is “fully on board” with the suggestion to upgrade the systems.
An ongoing shortage of air traffic controllers contributed to the delays, with the U.S. needing 3,000 more to be adequately staffed, according to the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA), a union that represents 10,800 controllers across the country. Last March, Nick Daniels, President of the NATCA, told Congress that nationwide staffing is lower than it’s been in almost 30 years.
