The Federal Aviation Administration said three air traffic controllers will work on the facility leading to the facility between Newar Liberty International Airport on Monday evening.
The staffing crisis has put a strain on the already troubled aviation system, with flights to Newark delaying up to seven hours on Monday.
The FAA said in a statement to the New York Times that at least three controllers are scheduled for Monday evening at the Philadelphia facility that manages air traffic in Newark. However, four people familiar with the problems at the airport said that the number of fully certified controllers on duty is sometimes one or two.
The lack of staffing was affected by airport flights for a day, forcing the FAA I'm looking forward to leaving. The delays affected flights coming to Newark, mainly from parts of the US and Canada, and lasted for almost seven hours, averaged over an hour and 40 minutes, according to online FAA advisory.
Monday's delay was the latest in a series of setbacks in Newark, one of the busiest airports in the country and United Airlines' big hub. On Friday, Philadelphia's air traffic control facility leading airport planes had a short radar outage. A similar outage later last month prevented the controller from communicating with the pilot for about 30 seconds.
On the afternoon of April 28th, the outage was following months of glitches and other issues that rattled the controllers managing Newark's airspace. Some controllers have taken leave to recover from the stress of these delays.
On Monday, during a shift that normally runs from 3 to 10pm, the group that manages Newark air traffic from Philadelphia operated on one or two fully certified controllers, the four said. According to an agreement between the Controllers Union and the air traffic controllers, which took effect in January, the target for that period is 14 controllers.
“We are planning staffing for the traffic management initiative to ensure safety is not breached. At least three controllers are scheduled tonight at Philadelphia Traicon Area C, which directs aircraft inside and outside the Phila Arrivals International Airport.”
Last summer, the FAA moved air traffic management in Newark on Long Island, New York to the Philadelphia facility in hopes that it would help hire more controllers by moving teams to more affordable areas, but the move to Philadelphia angered some controllers who were asked to umprot their families. Even if the movement is going well, it will take years to recruit and train new controllers.
At best, it can take a year to relocate the controller Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said at a press conference Monday at the Philadelphia facility. The average time to prove such a complex airspace controller is two and a half years.
“It takes a long time to train,” Duffy said. “So you don't have the ability to just snap your fingers and move the controller.”
As of March 2024, only 59% of the available controller roles were filled with facilities on Long Island. At the time, they were handling flights at Newark, Lagardia Airport, Kennedy International Airport and other New York Airports.
In addition to staffing, the FAA is tackling equipment and technology obstacles that can take time to fix.
The recent radar outages have been caused by software and hardware issues. This, combined with staffing restrictions and runway construction, has contributed to long delays in Newark in recent weeks, shaking faith in the airport among travelers.
Melissa Rodriguez in Bayonne, New Jersey is closer to other airports in the area, so he regularly flies from Newark. However, she is considering using other New York area airports after chaperone a cheerleading team that landed in Newark on Monday.
“Everyone was late or the flight was cancelled and this was going both ways,” Rodriguez added, adding, “They were very unhappy.”
Rodriguez, 46, said he looked into flights arriving at Kennedy or LaGuardia as backup. “We have to look at Plans A, B, C and D because we have all the issues with Newark.”
In an email Monday, United CEO Scott Kirby tried to reassure customers, saying every flight with Newark is “absolutely safe.”
“If there are FAA issues such as technology outages or shortages, the FAA requires that all airlines fly fewer aircraft to maintain the highest level of safety,” he said.
United operates about two-thirds of flights to and from the airport, and other airlines are not close to that size.
Duffy said the early radar outages were caused by outdated backup communication lines that were overwhelmed when the primary line failed.
“We're trying to slow down the 1980 equipment to the 1990 speed,” he said.
Duffy said the FAA installed software updates on Friday to prevent future outages and planned infrastructure upgrades, including new fiber optic cables connecting the Philadelphia airport and facilities.
To reduce delays, Duffy said he plans to reduce the number of flights at the airport. The department is expected to meet with airline executives this week and do its best. United have already cut back on some that are flying there.
During the press conference, Duffy also repeatedly sought to blame the Biden administration, saying he had “bangled” the move from New York last summer. He also said he asked department inspectors to investigate the transition to Philadelphia.
“Commander Duffy has a tough job, but we need to spend more time doing what Americans are paying for him – we're solving the issues and denouncing other people,” a spokesman for Duffy's predecessor, Pete Battigigue, in a statement.
Mark Bonamo and Tim Bork Reports of contributions.
