Newark Airport Lost Radar and Radio Communication with Pilots for 90 Seconds
Newark Airport Lost Radar and Radio Communication with Pilots for 90 Seconds
Air traffic controllers guiding planes bound for Newark Liberty International Airport lost radar and radio communication for more than a minute early last week before flights at the key hub were snarled for days, according to people familiar with the matter.
The outage of those key systems occurred on April 28 and lasted nearly 90 seconds, said the people, who asked not to be identified discussing the matter because it isn’t public. Following the incident, multiple employees were placed on trauma leave, the people said.
The incident and resulting reduction in staffing contributed to a week of flight delays and cancellations at Newark airport that pushed United Airlines Holdings Inc. to cut 35 daily round trips at the key hub, its biggest for international departures and a primary gateway for domestic flights. On Monday, Delta Air Lines Inc., which has about 30 departures a day at Newark, said it is also canceling a “small number” of flights due to air traffic control restraints.
The details, which haven’t previously been reported, paint a dire picture of the problems plaguing the Federal Aviation Administration operation in Philadelphia that guides flights into and out of Newark, which handled more than 48 million passengers last year. The facility there has experienced a number of technology failures, said the people.
When radar or radio frequencies stop working, there are no fail-safes, one of the people said, meaning controllers must simply wait for the system to come back online. Left unchecked, some controllers are concerned that issues at the facility could result in a tragic accident, the people said.
In a statement Monday, the National Air Traffic Controllers Association confirmed that on April 28 controllers in the Philadelphia facility “temporarily lost radar and communications with the aircraft under their control, unable to see, hear, or talk to them.”
The FAA said in a separate statement that it’s “working to ensure the current telecommunications equipment is more reliable in the New York area.” The regulator also said that frequent outages can put stress on controllers and confirmed some at the Philadelphia facility who handle Newark arrivals and departures have taken time off to recover from recent events.
“While we cannot quickly replace them due to this highly specialized profession, we continue to train controllers who will eventually be assigned to this busy airspace,” the FAA said. “When staffing or equipment issues occur, the FAA will ensure safety by slowing the rate of arrivals into the airport.”
The incident last week left several air traffic controllers visibly shaken, with some shedding tears, and at least one person experiencing stress-induced heart palpitations, one of the people said. Still, controllers did not just “walk off the job” following the outage, NATCA said.
That’s how United CEO Scott Kirby described the situation in a message to customers Friday that was widely reported.
The FAA has contended with a staffing crunch since management of Newark’s airspace was transferred last year to Philadelphia from another site in New York state. The latest problems reflect a broader challenge of aging infrastructure and staffing shortages that has roiled FAA air traffic control operations.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has said he plans to unveil a plan later this week to upgrade the agency’s equipment and facilities. Last week, he also announced steps to boost hiring, including a slate of new bonuses. The FAA is currently about 3,000 air traffic controllers short of desired levels.
Government watchdogs and the aviation industry have long warned that these problems are becoming more serious and could lead to more travel disruptions, or at worst put safety of the flying public at risk.
The US Government Accountability Office stressed last year that swift action is needed, citing a 2023 FAA assessment that found 76% of the agency’s air traffic control systems were either unsustainable or potentially unsustainable. In 2024, the FAA said the average age of an air traffic control tower was 40 years, and the majority of radar systems were approaching the same age.
Duffy and Nick Daniels, the president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, visited the FAA’s Philadelphia facility at the end of last week amid the persistent problems at Newark.
“If we don’t act, we will start to see these issues across the national airspace,” Duffy said in a post to X following his visit.
Army Suspends Blackhawk Flights to Pentagon After New Scare
May 6, 2025
2 min
Brian Kemp Won’t Run for US Senate in 2026
May 6, 2025
2 min
Trump to Super-Charge Deportations Using Local Cops
May 6, 2025
2 min
Mike Myers, Michael B. Jordan First Celebs Named in Diddy Trial
May 6, 2025
3 min
Trump Bans Federal Funding for Gain-of-Function Research
May 6, 2025
1 min
Signal Clone Used by Govt Officials Hacked
May 6, 2025
4 min
Trump Offers Illegal Aliens $1,000 to Self Deport
May 5, 2025
1 min
Israel to Capture All of Gaza, Officials Say
May 5, 2025
1 min
Trump Announces 2027 NFL Draft Will Be in Washington
May 5, 2025
1 min
Mike Pence Receives JFK Courage Award for Jan 6
May 5, 2025
3 min
DOGE, Treasury Discover $334M in Improper Payment
May 5, 2025
2 min
Trump Orders 100% Tariff on Foreign-Made Movies
May 5, 2025
2 min
Antarctica Gains Ice for First Time in Decades: Study
May 5, 2025
1 min
Virginia GOP Rocked by Gay-Porn Scandal
May 5, 2025
3 min
Putin, Xi to Sign 'Series' of Deals in Moscow Summit
May 5, 2025
2 min
Trump Orders Reopening of Alcatraz Prison
May 5, 2025
2 min
Update: Israel Readying Massive Response to Houthis and Iran After Airport Missile Attack
May 5, 2025
1 min
Mexico President Rejects Trump Offer to Send Troops to Stop Drug Cartels
May 5, 2025
2 min
Dozens Rescued from Sinking Yacht Off Miami Beach
May 5, 2025
<1 min
Brazil: Police Foil Bomb Attack on Lady Gaga Concert
May 5, 2025
2 min