Duffy Shares Plans to Scale Back Flights at Newark Liberty International

After a ‘telecommunications issue’ with Philadelphia TRACON brought yet another string of delays, US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy shared plans to cut back flights into Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR). The ground stop lasted for around 45 minutes.

Flights at Newark Liberty International Airport will be reduced “for the next several weeks,” Duffy claimed, as federal officials work to address radar outages, a strained air traffic control system, and a growing pile of flight delays and cancellations.

Duffy said he would meet with all airlines operating out of Newark this week to agree on a capacity reduction plan. He noted that the cuts will vary by time of day, with larger reductions in the afternoon when the airport typically experiences a surge in international arrivals. The goal seems easier than it is: to “have a number of flights that if you book your flight, you know it’s going to fly.”

The decision follows a series of equipment failures tied to the FAA’s Philadelphia-based TRACON facility, which manages airspace for Newark. On May 9 at 3:55 am, the radar at that facility went dark for 90 seconds. This brought back memories of an eerily similar issue to one on April 28 that led to the cancellation of more than 1,000 flights and even sent five air traffic controllers into trauma leave. There was a second outage on May 11, causing a 45-minute ground stop for inbound Newark flights. 

Operations later resumed, but not before 67 flights were delayed and 79 canceled. The FAA confirmed that the disruption stemmed from a telecommunications issue and said traffic was slowed “while we ensured redundancies were working as designed.”

Despite the recurring issues, Duffy insisted that it remains safe to fly from Newark. However, he acknowledged that the systems involved are outdated and in need of a long-term fix. To that end, a new communications line connecting Newark directly to the Philadelphia TRACON center is being constructed and is expected to be operational by the end of the summer.

FMI: www.newarkairport.com