Passengers traveling to Newar Liberty International Airport on Monday faced cancellations and hours of delays as air traffic disruptions were extended in the second week.
The low cloud on Monday urged the Federal Aviation Administration to pause flights heading to Newark, leading to an average delay of four hours, exacerbating travel disruptions at one of the country's busiest airports. More than 200 flights coming and going to Newark were late Monday morning, according to tracking site FlightAware.
The FAA said major flight disruption began earlier last week when the Philadelphia Air Traffic Control Center experienced equipment failures and staffing issues. One of Newark's three runways has been closed for construction, and it has come as air traffic control centers across the country are experiencing a staffing shortage. United said last week it was forced to cut 35 round-trip flights per day from Newark's schedule.
The scene at Newark's Main United Terminal on Monday was relatively mild, but travelers whose flights were cancelled expressed their dissatisfaction with being directed at online customer service agents.
New York Sen. Chuck Schumer on Monday called on the inspector's office to investigate Newark's issues by saying safety issues and outdated techniques were needed to investigate Newark's issues.
“To say there is a slight turbulence between Newark Airport and the FAA, an understatement this year,” minority leader Schumer said at a press conference. “We're here because the FAA is really confused.”
He said Newark's issues could be a “preservation if these issues were not fixed.” He condemned mismanagement in the FAA, cutting cuts imposed by the Trump administration on staffing issues and warned that other airports in the country could experience similar issues if they weren't addressed.
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which operates New York Airport and Kennedy International and LaGuardia Airports, said in a statement Monday that the lack of staffing at the Air Traffic Control Center is responsible.
“The Port Authority has invested billions to modernize Newar Liberty, but these improvements are entirely dependent on staff and the modern federal air traffic system,” the Port Authority said. “We continue to urge the FAA to address the ongoing staffing shortages and accelerate long-term technology upgrades that continue to cause delays in the country's busiest air corridor.”
In a statement Friday, Scott Kirby, chief executive of United Airlines, Newark's biggest airline, said the recent cancellation of flights was attributed to equipment breakdowns “off work” and air traffic controllers.
As a result, he added, “we have dozens of repurposed flights, hundreds of delayed and cancelled flights, and, in the worst case, thousands of customers who have destroyed their travel plans.”
About 68% of the more than 3,300 scheduled departures at Newark were sold by United this week, according to air data company Cirium.
It is not clear when staffing and construction-related delays will be resolved, and the bad weather is likely to contribute to travelers' headaches at Newark and other metro airports.
Low clouds and rain could limit flights in and out of the area until mid-week. The rain could increase the intensity on Monday, and some thunderstorms are also possible. Shower chances remain on Wednesday.
Judson Jones, Niraji Chokushi and Mark Walker Reports of contributions.
