Air traffic controller shortage causing flight delays at Newark airport
NEWARK, NEW JERSEY (WABC) -- A severe air traffic controller shortage is causing significant backups and an FAA ground stop at Newark International Airport on Monday.
The FAA is warning airlines and pilots to expect departure delays and airborne holding for up to two hours.
All flights from DC area airports and Charlotte are being held at their origin airports.
The FAA released a statement regarding the delays:
"The FAA is slowing flights into and out of Newark Liberty International Airport due to air traffic controller staffing issues at the New York Terminal Radar Approach Control (N90). Real-time updates are available for the public on www.fly.faa.gov."
The controllers all work at the New York ATC center that handles Newark Airport flights, not the control tower. The building is located on Long Island and currently manages airspace throughout the region.
The FAA wants to relocate the controllers who handle New Jersey airspace to a similar facility in Philadelphia. The controllers do not want to move.
Newscoper7's John Del Giorno offers advice to get ahead of delays.
"The first tip is to travel early in the day. Take the first flight of the day if possible. That's because more than 60 percent of airline delays are caused by weather. In the summertime, that's mostly thunderstorms and those storms form later in the afternoon, generally speaking. So if you travel early in the morning, odds are that you'll get out before any bad weather forms," Del Giorno said.
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