Yesterday, I published a piece titled: Avoid Newark Airport at All Costs’: Air Traffic Controller Issues Warning Over Safety Concerns. Shortly afterwards, we learned that air traffic controllers overseeing Newark flights lost both radio and radar contact for an unspecified period last Monday, prompting at least five controllers to take trauma leave, a source familiar with the situation says. It’s the clearest explanation yet for the FAA delays that have plagued EWR over the past eight days.
Pete Muntean was the first to report on this.
NEW REPORTING: Air traffic controllers at a facility responsible for Newark flights lost RADIO AND RADAR for an undisclosed time last Monday, causing *at least 5* ATCs to take trauma leave, a source familiar tells me.
It’s the most clarity yet into 8 days of FAA delays at EWR. pic.twitter.com/9BA1osp8IM
— Pete Muntean (@petemuntean) May 5, 2025
In response, United Airlines has issued a travel waiver for flights to, from or through Newark (EWR) between May 6 and 17, 2025, due to ongoing runway construction and FAA staffing shortages, offering passengers flexibility to make voluntary changes free of charge.
I advise taking advantage of it, as one of my friends posted about her miserable experience on Facebook: “Wonder if the DOGE cuts really matter? Turns out the already short staffed FAA was chopped and for three weeks. United has been dealing with yanking people off planes because there’s not enough agents to approve landing on the Newark runway. So we were boarded at 5:30 AM this morning, ready to take off at 6:00 and they took us off the plane and said it didn’t look like it would open up until noon. No use changing flights unless I change airlines and airports because all the other United flights to Newark are in line behind us. Brilliant!!”
According to USA Today, “Air traffic controllers were not included in the layoffs at the FAA, nor were other safety-critical professionals like inspectors. However, union representatives previously said that the layoffs meant those safety-critical employees would be doing their jobs with less support from different parts of the agency.”
But it looks like “the technicians that maintain and repair all that outdated equipment were the ones that DOGE fired/laid off. So now when it breaks, as older equipment does more frequently, they wait longer for repairs.”
Secretary Sean Duffy blames the Biden administration, tweeting: “It’s no secret our air traffic control system is antiquated. The last administration didn’t lift a finger to fix it. We’re working day and night to overhaul it.”
It’s no secret our air traffic control system is antiquated.
The last administration didn’t lift a finger to fix it. We’re working day and night to overhaul it. pic.twitter.com/vigPp75fNA
— Secretary Sean Duffy (@SecDuffy) May 6, 2025
But the Biden administration didn’t make cuts. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation (November 2024), under the Biden administration, “to combat a long-standing air traffic controller shortfall, FAA is moving full-speed ahead to hire and train new staff. FAA exceeded its hiring target of 1,800 hires this year, with a goal of 2,000 next year.” They were also “offering two hiring periods for air traffic controllers in April and October 2024.”
Our system certainly is antiquated. Let’s hope that Secretary Duffy is right when he says, “The President and I are going to radically transform air traffic control. That means building a brand new system that is the envy of the world.”
The President and I are going to radically transform air traffic control. That means building a brand new system that is the envy of the world.
Stay tuned! pic.twitter.com/wlhQDbMMMY
— Secretary Sean Duffy (@SecDuffy) May 6, 2025
KEEP READING
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