Reduced flight operations at Newark airport: United Airlines diminishes 35 daily trips due to controller shortage in air traffic management.
Air Traffic Control Chaos: The Persistent Congestion at Newark Airport
Get ready for some turbulence! The current state of Newark Liberty International Airport, located just outside the bustling city of New York, is a chaotic mess due to an ongoing shortage of air traffic controllers. This air traffic control fiasco has been causing long delays and cancellations, not just at Newark, but affecting airports nationwide, such as Los Angeles.
United Airlines is bearing the brunt of these issues, with their Newark schedule reducing by 35 daily flights due to the inadequate control system and staff shortages. According to United’s CEO, Scott Kirby, the air traffic control equipment has malfunctioned more than once recently, and these equipment problems, combined with over one-fifth of Newark’s traffic controllers walking off their jobs, have caused quite the mess.
In his letter to customers, Kirby emphasized that Newark airport, with its understaffed air traffic control facility for years, is incapable of handling the number of planes scheduled to operate there in the coming months. Flight delays, cancellations, and diversions have been the unfortunate result. The FAA's airport status reports indicated an average delay of nearly two hours for inbound flights and 45 minutes for outbound flights.
The delays have been so severe that arriving flights were, on average, more than three hours behind schedule by late afternoon, while departing flights experienced a brief respite with a reduced, average half-hour delay. This unfortunate ripple effect was felt in various other cities, including Los Angeles, Atlanta, Chicago, Miami, Dallas, and more, as per the "misery map" maintained by FlightAware.
While the Trump administration claims to be takingstrides to "supercharge" and improve the air traffic controller workforce, the challenges still persist. The FAA faces a significant shortfall of about 3,000 controllers across the nation. As travelers, make sure to verify your flight status before departure, as these delays and cancellations could persist in the near future.
The National Air Traffic Controllers Assn. believes the system needs long-overdue technology and infrastructure upgrades to address these problems effectively. As the situation unfolds, keep an eye on your flight schedules and stay patience. Happy flying!
Choe writes for the Associated Press.
Further Reading
Delta Air Lines under investigation over handling of system outage
American Airlines halts flights nationwide on Christmas Eve due to technical issue
LAX falls down the list of the world's busiest airports by passenger count
- The persisting shortage of air traffic controllers, particularly at Newark Liberty International Airport, has caused significant challenges, leading to long delays and cancellations, even affecting airports in cities like Los Angeles.
- United Airlines has been severely impacted, reducing their daily flights at Newark by 35 due to the inadequate control system and staff shortages.
- In a letter to customers, United's CEO, Scott Kirby, pointed out that Newark airport's air traffic control has been understaffed for years and is struggling to handle the scheduled planes for the coming months.
- The FAA's airport status reports show an average delay of nearly two hours for inbound flights and 45 minutes for outbound flights at Newark, with arriving flights often more than three hours behind schedule.
- This air traffic control crisis has led to delays and cancellations at various other cities such as Los Angeles, Atlanta, Chicago, Miami, Dallas, and more, as per the FlightAware misery map.
- Despite the Trump administration's efforts to improve the air traffic controller workforce, the FAA still faces a significant shortfall of about 3,000 controllers across the nation.
- The National Air Traffic Controllers Assn. advocates for long-overdue technology and infrastructure upgrades to address these ongoing issues effectively, urging travelers to stay vigilant about their flight schedules and remain patient.
