Newark airport hit by fourth air traffic control outage since April, FAA confirms

The Newark Liberty International Airport was hit by another air traffic control outage on Monday morning, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said. According to the FAA, the Philadelphia air traffic control centre, which manages flights at Newark Liberty International Airport, experienced a brief radio system failure for two seconds. This marks the fourth such disruption at Newark Airport since April 28, amidst ongoing technical and personnel challenges. Following the April incident, a 90-second communication interruption occurred on May 9, causing flight disruptions. Another outage on May 11 halted flights, while staff shortages related to the April incident caused extensive delays, CBS News reported.The Philadelphia facility controlling Newark flights currently faces understaffing issues.

These issues highlight the critical shortage of air traffic controllers across the United States.US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced this month that modernisation of the national air traffic control system is in progress. The upgrade includes new software and equipment installations, with costs expected to reach "tens of billions of dollars," according to Duffy.The current system operates on outdated technology, forcing the FAA to source replacement parts from eBay or create them using 3D printers due to unavailability of new components, as Duffy informed a Senate Appropriations subcommittee in April.

Due to ongoing issues at ERW, the FAA suggests implementing significant flight restrictions, limiting arrivals to 28 per hour.The proposed reduction in air traffic would enable the airport to undertake runway construction and improvements. The daily maintenance work is scheduled to continue until June 15, followed by weekly Saturday operations through to year-end.