The Federal Aviation Administration said that on Monday night, only three air traffic controllers planned to work on Monday night at the facility at Newark Liberty International Airport, far less than the target of 14 controllers for most of the time.
The staffing crisis has added pressure on an already troubled aviation system, with flights to Newark delaying Monday for up to seven hours.
In a statement to the New York Times, the FAA said it had at least three controllers an hourly location on Monday night at the Philadelphia facility that manages air traffic in Newark. But there are four familiar questions at the airport that say the number of fully certified duty controllers is sometimes one or two.
Staffing shortages affect airport flights most of the time, forcing the FAA to arrive Lift the source to fly. These delays mainly affect flights from consecutive U.S. and most of Canada to Newark, lasting an average of more than an hour and 40 minutes and up to seven hours, according to data from the online FAA Advisory.
Monday’s delays were the latest in a series of setbacks in Newark, one of the busiest airports in the United States and a large hub for United Airlines. On Friday, the Philadelphia air traffic control facility directing airport planes was briefly out of power. A similar power outage at the end of last month prevented the controller from communicating with the pilot for about 30 seconds.
On the afternoon of April 28, the blackout followed by months of failure and other problems that shocked the controllers who managed Newark airspace. Some controllers continue to take leave to recover from these delayed stresses.
On Monday, the team that manages Newark air traffic in Philadelphia is operating using one or two fully certified controllers, four of whom said. According to an agreement between the controller union and air traffic control officials, the target for the period is 14 controllers, which will take effect in January.
“We plan to equip the traffic management program to ensure safety is never compromised. Tonight, at least three controllers are designated as Newark Liberty International Airport every hour at Tracon Chare C Areation Cheard Area Craft Arcraft to set at least three controllers as Newark Liberty International Airport,” the agency said.
Last summer, the FAA moved Newark’s air traffic management to a facility in Long Island, New York, hoping to move the team to more affordable areas, which will help the agency hire more controllers. Even if the move goes well, it will take years to recruit and train new controllers.
At best, training controller relocation can take one year Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said in a press conference Monday to the facility in Philadelphia. The average time to prove the controller is two and a half years.
“It takes them a long time to train,” Mr. Duffy said. “So we don’t have the ability to just grab the finger and move the controller.”
As of March 2024, only 59% of available controller positions in the Long Island facility were filled, which handled flights at Newark, LaGuardia, Kennedy International and other New York airports at the time.
In addition to staffing, the FAA is also working to resolve equipment and technical failures, which can also take a long time to resolve.
The recent radar outages were caused by software and hardware issues that, when combined with staff constraints and runway construction, have delayed long delays in Newark in recent weeks and have shaken the belief in airports among travelers.
Melissa Rodriguez of Bayon, New Jersey, regularly flies from Newark because it is closer than other airports in the area. But she is considering using other New York-area airports after landing in a cheerleader in Newark on Monday.
“Everyone was delayed or their flight was cancelled, which was both ways. They were very upset,” Ms Rodriguez said.
Ms Rodriguez, 46, said she has studied flights to Kennedy or LaGuardia as backup. “With all the issues with Newark, you have to look at plans A, B, C and D.”
In an email Monday, Manchester United CEO Scott Kirby tried to assure customers and said all flights to and from Newark were “absolutely safe”.
“When there are FAA issues such as technical disruptions or staff shortages, the FAA requires all airlines to fly fewer aircraft to maintain the highest level of safety,” he said.
Manchester United has about two-thirds of the flights to and from the airport, and no other airlines arrive there in the size.
Mr Duffy said the earlier radar outage was caused by outdated backup telecom lines, which was overwhelmed when the main line failed.
“We are trying to reduce the speed of the equipment in 1980 to the speed of the 1990s,” he said.
Mr Duffy said the FAA installed software updates on Friday to prevent future power outages and planned infrastructure upgrades, including new fiber optic cables connecting the airport and facilities in Philadelphia.
Duffy said he also plans to reduce the number of flights at the airport to reduce delays. The department is expected to meet with airline supervisors this week to discuss how best to do this. Manchester United have cut some flights there.
During the press conference, Mr. Duffy also repeatedly tried to blame the Biden administration, saying it was “clumsy” from New York last summer. He said he also asked the department’s inspector general to investigate the transition to Philadelphia.
“Secretary Duffy’s job is tough. But he needs to spend more time doing what the Americans pay him – solving problems – and less time blaming others.”
Mark Bonamo and Tim Barker Contribution report.
