Newark Liberty International Airport, one of the three major airports serving the congested New York metropolitan area, is facing dire consequences. This announcement comes during a record year for passenger traffic. In 2023, Newark handled more than 49 million passengers—its heaviest burden ever. However, technical issues, a shortage of air traffic controllers, and ongoing runway construction have created a perfect storm of operational disruptions.
In the most recent case, Newark faced three radar outages in recent weeks due to computer issues. Aside from the spike in anxiety among airport personnel, these occurrences have resulted in significant flight disruptions. On Monday, Newark had just three air traffic controllers scheduled as opposed to the standard 14. That extreme cut led to flight delays of nearly seven hours on average. Due to a blackout, the control tower also lost communication with the aircraft for 90 seconds. This was a very scary situation.
Sean Duffy, the former transportation secretary for the Trump administration, was the first to calm the waters. He touted the safety of flying from Newark. However, he later expressed his concerns regarding the airport’s airspace and took personal action by switching his wife’s flight from Newark to LaGuardia to avoid potential disruptions.
“My wife was flying out of Newark tomorrow, I switched her flight to LaGuardia.” – Sean Duffy
Duffy’s actions have sparked criticism and raised questions about the reliability of Newark’s air traffic control system. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has an obligation to protect air safety over Newark. It is now in the crosshairs due to drastic staff cuts mandated by Elon Musk’s wayward government-beheading team, Doge. Newark’s 30% reductions caused by the pandemic have deepened the staffing shortages currently crippling Newark, making matters even less tolerable at the airport.
In response to these challenges, local leaders and officials are calling for immediate action to address the problems at Newark Airport. In response, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said that Duffy should work to fix such problems instead of trying to blame someone else.
“He needs to spend more time doing what the American people are paying him to do – fix problems – and less time blaming others.” – Pete Buttigieg
Duffy’s been the one reassuring everyone all along, but now he’s personally changing his wife’s flight. This decision raises serious questions about the state of air traffic control at Newark right now. The perfect storm of radar outages and staffing shortages has had countless passengers worried about missing an important trip.
Duffy recognized the need to confront airspace safety, stressing the need to work in conjunction with other industry leaders.
“Elon and I get on really well … He understands the importance of the air space and the need to have good controllers.” – Sean Duffy
As Newark Liberty International Airport navigates its operational hurdles, the focus remains on ensuring passenger safety and restoring confidence in its air travel system.