FAA cuts flights in and out of Newark airport amid delays, air traffic controller shortage
NEWARK, New Jersey (WABC) -- After weeks of flight delays and multiple air traffic control outages at Newark Airport, the FAA is reducing the number of flights by about 25 percent.
Fewer planes will be in the skies above Newark Liberty International Airport for the time being.
The FAA says airlines have agreed to cut the number of flights to 28 arrivals and 28 departures an hour until June 15.
This move is a way for the FAA to alleviate some of the pressure at the airport, which has dealt with multiple system blackouts in recent weeks.
Officials say aging technology is a factor as well as the nationwide shortage of air traffic controllers.
"People would be surprised to know Newark's not alone. Most Americans walk around with more computing power in their pocket than air traffic controllers have at the ready," Nick Daniels President of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, said.
The FAA has taken a number of steps to address the technical problems with a software update and new fiber optic lines that seemed to have helped keep the radar online even during subsequent disruptions. But a longer-term fix of building a new radar system at the Philadelphia facility that directs planes in and out of the airport will likely take months, and even after that, the aging infrastructure may remain vulnerable.
Once fewer flights are scheduled each day, there will likely be fewer cancellations, although operations at the airport have been much smoother this week with many fewer cancellations and delays.
This comes right before what's expected to be a record breaking Memorial day travel weekend.
AAA estimates about 45 million people will travel between Thursday and Monday and 3.6 million will be flying.
Julian Kheel, the CEO of Points Path, says travelers are altering their plans in light of recent events.
"Travelers have definitely gone out of their way to avoid Newark Airport and choose one of the other options if it fits their travel plans. And I do recommend that if you have travel in or through Newark, contact your airline," Julian Kheel Points Path CEO said.
If you havent done so already, it might be a good time to book those flights.
According to the bureau of labor statistic, prices of flights in April were 8 percent less than the same time last year.
But Kheel says there could be some hesitation among those thinking about traveling.
"I think people do consider or whether safety is an issue at Newark. I do think Newark is a safe airport to fly in and out of. The FAA does make sure that they provide redundant backups systems as well as redundant controllers So if you are worried about the safety, I think you're safe flying in and out. But you may not get there on time," Kheel said.
After June 15, the number of flights will increase by 34 arrivals and 34 departures an hour.
This will be in place until October 25.
Twice in the past month, the radar and communications systems that Philadelphia air traffic controllers who direct planes in and out of Newark rely on failed for a short time. That happened because the main line that carries the radar signal down from another FAA facility in New York failed, and the backup line didn't work immediately.
The controllers were unable to see or communicate with the planes around Newark Airport for as long as 90 seconds on April 28 and May 9.
The lines - some of which were old copper wires - failed a third time May 11, but the backup system worked and the radar stayed online. The FAA said a fourth outage Monday knocked out radio communications for two seconds, but the radar stayed online.
After the initial outage, the already shorthanded control center in Philadelphia lost five to seven controllers to trauma leave. That left the airport unable to handle all the scheduled flights, leading to hundreds of cancellations and delays.
The FAA quickly limited the number of flights in Newark to between 24 and 28 arrivals and the same number of departures every hour to ensure the remaining controllers could handle them safely.
Officials have said the problems affecting the Newark airport are a prime example of why the entire air traffic control system nationwide needs to be overhauled.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced a multibillion-dollar plan to upgrade the nation's aging air traffic control system earlier this month.
The House tentatively included $12.5 billion in the overarching bill that Republicans are trying to pass now, but officials have called that amount just a down payment on the overall plan.
The Associated Press contributed to this article.
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