The interruption at Newark Liberty International Airport last Monday caused air traffic control computer screens Dark for approximately 60 to 90 seconds, according to multiple sources with knowledge of the incident. He also prevented the controllers from talking with airplanes during this time.
In the air traffic control recordings obtained by ABC News, you can listen to an air traffic controller that tells the pilots that “it approaches all the radars. Three of the four radar screens became black and have no frequency.”
As a result, the Federal Aviation Administration stopped all the outputs to Newark airport, citing “telecommunications and team problems in Philadelphia Tracon”. This is the air traffic control installation that directs the airplanes inside and outside Newark airport.
After the interruption, several controllers were on a medical license, calling the experience a traumatic event. The controllers are entitled to at least 45 days of work and must be evaluated by a doctor before they can return to work.
“Due to the event, the controllers took absence under the Federal Employee Compensation Law. This program covers all federal employees who are physically injured or experience a traumatic event at work,” said the union that represents air traffic controllers in a statement on Monday.
The installation where the controllers work the airspace around the Newark airport is in Philadelphia and was already a short air traffic controller. The current scarcity has forced airlines to delay flights for hours during the last eight days.
“Frequent teams and telecommunications interruptions can be stressful for controllers,” FAA said in a statement on Monday. “Some controllers in Philadelphia Tracon who work in Newark arrivals and exits have taken free time to recover from the stress of multiple recent interruptions. Although we cannot replace them quickly due to this highly specialized profession, we continue to train controllers that will eventually be assigned to this occupied air space.”
United Airlines aircraft land and prepare to take off at Newark Liberty International Airport in Newark, NJ, on January 27, 2025.
Fabrizio Bensch/Reuters, file
Flight cancellations have increased in Newark following the interruption, according to Cirium data, an aviation analysis company. Since April 26, an average of 39 flights per day has been canceled, compared to an average of four flights per day canceled in April, according to Cirium. Time performance has also been degraded; Newark’s departures were approximately 80% in time before April 26 and since then they have fallen to 63%, below industry standards, according to Cirium.
United Airlines eliminated 35 round trip flights to help relieve congestion and reduce the impact on its customers. At 3:30 pm on Monday, flights arrived four delayed hours on average to Newark.
“This particular air traffic control installation has had a little chronic personnel for years and without these controllers, it is now clear, and FAA tells us, that Newark airport cannot handle the amount of airplanes that are scheduled to operate there in the coming weeks and months,” wrote the CEO of United Kirby in a letter to customers. “United undertakes absolutely everything in our power to minimize the impact that this will have on customers, so we are unilaterally canceling 35 round trip flights per day from our Newark schedule from this weekend.”
Kirby continued: “It is disappointing to make more cuts to a reduced schedule in Newark, but since there is no way to solve the structural problems of structural personnel of the FAA, we feel that there is no other option to protect our customers.”
United Airlines issued an exemption from “flexibility” trips that allows passengers to travel to and from Newark airport reschedule their trip without additional rates.
The nightmare delays at Newark airport were also the result of delays in the construction of the track and bad weather in the metropolitan area of New York City.
Newark was in the number 1 place of all airports in the world for delays and cancellations on Monday afternoon.
“Our outfly air traffic control system is affecting our workforce,” FAA said in a statement on Monday. “As [Transportation] Secretary [Sean] Duffy has said that we must obtain the best security technology in the hands of the controllers as soon as possible. We are working to ensure that the current telecommunications team is more reliable in the New York area establishing a more resistant and redundant configuration with local exchange operators. In addition, we are updating our automation system to improve resilience. “
